Chicago Sports Exchange: Bulls Play Role Of Opportunist To Get Back In Win Column
Hawks Fading Out Of NHL Playoff Picture
ed. note - Check for the CSE “Baseball Edition,” each Thursday going forward
Success doesn’t happen over the course of one night, or even four games for that matter. More often than not, it takes an indefinite amount of time and tinkering to create.
Billy Donovan continues to mix and match the old pieces of his Bulls roster with the new ones. He even experimented with—albeit out of necessity—the eyebrow-raising lineup of Tomáš Satoransky, Patrick Williams, Lauri Markkanen, Thad Young, and Nikola Vučević for a spell last week.
And although there’s more tweaking to be done, Donovan has to like how things have started to come together now five games into life post-trade deadline.
BUY - Bulls Outgun Undermanned Nets, Forging Chemistry Ahead Of Softer Portion Of Schedule
It didn’t come at the expense of any effort from Kevin Durant and James Harden but… when a 115-107 victory over Brooklyn puts a season-worst six-game losing streak to bed, who cares?
For the Bulls (20-28) to get the better of who was in uniform for one of the three best teams in the Eastern Conference still means something.
Especially given the heat they put on the Western Conference’s upper crust—they were within three points of both Phoenix and Utah in the last minute of each respective game, the former of which they played without Zach LaVine, Coby White and Garrett Temple—leading up to Sunday’s matinee.
That, and the honest-to-god truths of their improvement in ball security (8.6 to 15.6), aggressiveness (22.6 free throw attempts to 18.8) and defense (16.6 personal fouls to 19.6) in the past three games compared to their season averages, is indicative of a turned-over roster starting to figure each other out.
The Next Ten Games Will Make or Break the Bulls Playoff Push (Bleacher Nation)
Blending five newly acquired players—especially one in Nikola Vučević who is unlike any the franchise has enjoyed since Pau Gasol—into a team in the midst of one of its most difficult stretches of games to date was never going to be a cakewalk.
The injuries and absences of LaVine (ankle), White (neck strain, health and safety protocols) and Temple (hamstring) made it that much harder.
Though the latter two remain out of the lineup, the Bulls have picked up some positive momentum heading into Tuesday’s clash with ninth-seeded Indiana (22-26), who sits two games up in the standings.
With only two of their next 10 opponents boasting winning records as of this writing, the Bulls have a chance to make some real headway in the top-heavy East.
HOLD - Their Playoff Shot Took A Hit, But Hawks Not On The Mat Yet
Welp, the Blackhawks are staring that eight ball squarely in the face now.
And with just a little more than a month left for them to wrestle the fourth and final playoff spot away from Nashville—who broke a points-tie and clinched the season series between the two teams after shutting the Hawks out 3-0 Saturday — time is not an ally.
Although their schedule could be.
The Hawks (17-17-5) won’t play another team currently ahead of them in the standings until April 19 (the Predators, coincidentally). A trio of games against Dallas and Columbus this week, can help the Hawks not only stave off the ankle-biting Stars and Blue Jackets, but also keep pace with the Predators, who have the Stars, Detroit and division-leading Tampa Bay on their docket.
Perhaps that’s why despite his team having lost four of its last five games and seven of its last 10, Jeremy Colliton still believes the Hawks are in the driver’s seat.
“We’re right where we want to be: in a playoff race and [with] a bunch of young guys big parts of it, getting an opportunity and being challenged,” he said after the game Saturday.
“We want to rise to the challenge and get enough wins to get in.”
BUY - Fire Close Florida Portion Of Training Camp With A Draw, Two Friendlies Remain Before Opener
Things are (almost) about to get real.
With a 2-2 draw against Orlando City Saturday, just two preseason friendlies separate the Fire from their MLS regular season opener against the New England Revolution April 17.
Przemyslaw Frankowski and Luka Stojanović scored for the Fire, who moved to 2-1-1 on the preseason.
The draw brought to a close the Fire’s monthlong training camp in the Sunshine State, a length of time which head coach Raphael Wicky said took a mental and physical toll on the team.
“But,” Wicky said after the game, “overall, it was really good. I think this was a really good test against a very good MLS team.”
BUY — Red Stars Set For Challenge Cup, Championship Rematch
A shot at revenge usually doesn’t present itself this quickly.
Luckily (?) for the Red Stars, the kickoff to the National Women’s Soccer League Challenge Cup Friday will match them opposite the Houston squad who shut them out in last year’s final.
That said, the defending champion Dash only account for a quarter of the tough draws awaiting the Red Stars.
In the subsequent weeks following the rematch with the Dash, the Red Stars will face the perennial powerhouse Portland Thorns (April 15), Kansas City (April 20) and the up-and-coming OL Reign (April 27).
Drew Stevens is a Senior Writer for WARR Media, he lives and works in Chicago