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Zach LaVine has lost a lot since arriving in Chicago. Friday night may have represented such dejected post-game behavior that he presented it as a bull.
“We folded,” LaVine said. “There isn’t much to say.”
But there’s a lot to analyze from the Bulls’ 127-125 overtime loss to the Thunder, which ESPN Stats & Info said has only scored the second time in 2,932 instances in the past five seasons that a team took a 10-point lead in the last two minutes of regulation.
“I mean, we’re up 20 points,” LaVine said. “We have to win this game.”
Twenty-two, in fact, in the third trimester. And by 14 with 4:09 remaining in the settlement. And by 10 with 1:47 on the left.
Painful as Los Angeles’ competitive losses to the Lakers and Clippers are, the Bulls need to be careful that they don’t leave a lasting mark.
“This one should hurt,” Lauri Markkanen said.
With 24 turnovers, the Bulls now own three of 10 NBA games this season with 22 or more turnovers. After an exceptional first half in which they provided 17 assists for seven turnovers, the Bulls scored 18 field goals and 17 turnovers in the second half and overtime.
“We just have to do a better job as a whole organization because we can’t lose games like that. We have lost a lot of games this year where we have played well. Our execution in the fourth quarter needs to improve. And I take it upon myself. I made a lot of mistakes in the fourth quarter, ”said LaVine. “It’s extremely frustrating. Somehow, even if you are playing poorly, you have to take these games out. “
When there is an epic collapse of this proportion, there is a lot of blame to be shared. To witness it:
- LaVine made one of his six turnovers at that fateful 4:09 mark to trigger the bleeding
- Wendell Carter Jr. fouled Mike Muscala on a 3-point attempt with 1:47 left in regulation, leading to three free throws that reduced the Thunder’s 10-point deficit.
- Coby White and Lauri Markkanen both committed offensive faults, the latter creating a screen with 26.9 seconds remaining that led the Thunder to tie possession.
- White fouled Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the 3-point tie with 16.4 seconds left
- LaVine had to hoist a contested 3 point at the end of regulation after the Thunder blew up a middle pick-and-roll involving Otto Porter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen
- The Bulls have repeatedly struggled to match up shooters in transition, and Muscala burned them for a 3-point to open overtime
- For the third time this season, the Bulls didn’t have a late timeout, so LaVine rushed up the field after George Hill shared two free throws with 5.2 seconds left to try a 3 points for the victory. Unfortunately, Denzel Valentine ran alongside LaVine, bringing in an additional defender.
“I think these guys are smart guys,” Donovan said. “They know a lot of these things are self-induced.”
The Bulls have very little room for error. Their record of 4-8 and the monstrous collapse on Friday are proof of that.
“Tit’s a hard-working group; it’s a great bunch of guys, ”Donovan said. “They want to win. They don’t know how. They are learning to do it.
“WWe all have to come together and work together and try to figure out because this is something these guys have been dealing with for a while. I have 12 games with them. And as a coach you feel bad. You want to be able to do more, and I have to try to find different ways to try to help them as a group. “
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