Getty Charles Barkley blasted the Chicago Bulls after losing to the LA Clippers.
It’s no secret the Chicago Bulls have been a disappointment this season. Losers of three of their last four games, the Bulls find themselves in ninth place in the Eastern Conference at 32-25 after a 126-111 home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, March 14.
While Chicago is in the playoff hunt, TNT analyst Charles Barkley doesn’t expect the Bulls to pose any threat in the postseason. After the lopsided loss to the Clippers, Barkley said the Bulls wouldn’t even March Madness.
Charles Barkley Gets Harsh With the Chicago Bulls
Chuck: “The Bulls couldn’t win March Madness.” 😭
The Bulls’ only win in the last four games was a 132-129 overtime thriller when they knocked off the Indiana Pacers. In that game, DeMar DeRozan finished with 46 points. DeRozan has been a bright spot for the Bulls in an otherwise disappointing season.
In the loss to the Clippers, Chicago’s second to LA in five nights, the Bulls were down early, trailing 37-26 after the first quarter. The Clippers held a 90-70 lead in the third quarter before the Bulls made a mini-run that cut the deficit to eight points, but they were never a threat to pull out the victory.
After the game, Barkley took it to the Bulls during TNT’s highlight session.
As TNT host Ernie Johnson was narrating the highlights, Barkley chimed in.
“Let me tell you something,” Barkley said. “The Bulls couldn’t win March Madness.”
After co-host Kenny Smith told Barkley that the Bulls “are in the playoffs,” Barkley doubled down.
“The Bulls couldn’t win March Madness,” he reiterated. “They’d be a number four seed.”
“They would not,” Smith said. “Stop it.”
Barkley Said Even With DeRozan, the Bulls Are Bad
DeRozan, in his 14th NBA season and third with the Bulls, is having yet another solid season. The six-time NBA All-Star leads the league in minutes, averaging 37.7 per game and is putting up 23.3 points per game.
In that overtime win over the Pacers, he was vintage DeRozan. he made 15 of 24 shots from the floor and went 15-for-17 from the free-throw line. He also pulled down nine rebounds while scoring his season-high 46 points. DeRozan has missed just two games this season.
“Hall of Famer. One of the best scorers this game has ever seen,” said teammate Ayo Dosunmu, per The Chicago Tribune. “He was locked in. I was very impressed with DeMar, just throughout the whole flow of the game, he was locked in no matter what. That’s very crucial for us, for him to be our leader, to always have that mindset and know that we have a chance to win no matter what.”
DeRozan said he relishes moments like this.
“It’s like a survival mode that kicks in — in a fun way,” DeRozan said. “You embrace those moments. For me, I just thrive off the moments. I’m not scared to fail.”
Still, Barkley said the Bulls wouldn’t win the NCAA tourney, even with DeRozan.
“You think there’s a better player in college basketball than DeMar DeRozan?” Smith asked Barkley.
“No, but I’m talking about the sum of the parts,” Barkley answered. “You think the Bulls would win the tourney?”
“Easily,” Smith said.
“You’re crazy,” Barkley said. “The Bulls would not be favored to win this year’s March Madness.”