Getty Images Bobby Portis
The Chicago Bulls are in a 3-1 hole after dropping both games at home to the Milwaukee Bucks. Things didn’t go as planned for the Bulls as they had no answer for the Bucks losing games three and four in Chicago by an average of 27 points.
It’s clear that the Bulls’ season is in danger of ending when the two teams return to Milwaukee for game five. The good news is they do have a couple of days to try and figure some things out as the next game is on Wednesday night.
Rubbing it in
Losing two playoff games at home by an average of 27 points is a bad feeling in itself for the Bulls and their fans. Making things worse on Sunday night was former Bull and current Milwaukee Buck Bobby Portis throwing salt in the wound.
Portis pointed to his ring finger as fans were heckling him on Sunday to remind them he won a championship with the Bucks last season. He’s also been huge for the Bucks in this series averaging 11 points and 10 rebounds per game.
He’s been even more important the last two games starting in place of the injured Khris Middleton. Over the last two games, he’s averaged 16 points and 13 rebounds in 29 minutes per game.
Portis was drafted by the Bulls with the 22nd pick in the 2015 draft out of Arkansas. He spent his first three seasons with the Bulls before he was traded during his fourth season to the Washington Wizards in the 2018-19 season.
Portis went on to spend his 2019-20 season with the Knicks before landing with the Bucks last season. During his time with the Bulls, Portis averaged 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Portis’s time with the Bulls wasn’t without controversy. He got in a fight with teammate Nikola Mirotic early in the 2017-18 season that sent Mirotic to the hospital with two broken bones and a concussion. Mirotic was traded later that season to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Out of Ideas
As the Bulls head back to Milwaukee for game five, it’s hard to fathom what answers they might come up with to extend the series. The reality is the Bucks are just the better team and have been all season.
Even as the Bucks have been shorthanded without Middleton over the last two games, the Bulls have struggled to match up. The Bulls of course have been shorthanded themselves since January as they’ve been without Lonzo Ball.
With the way, the Bulls have lost the last two games it can be difficult to find many positives. If there is one thing the Bulls could take from this experience, it’s what it takes to be a championship contender.
Throughout the season while the Bulls have struggled to beat good teams, head coach Billy Donovan has said the team needed more experience in those types of games. The team’s front office should also know by now that the roster will need more improvement this summer.
The series isn’t over yet and the Bulls still have a chance to extend the series, but regardless signs point to this being a busy offseason for Chicago.