As the Chicago Bulls stare down the ultimate 27 video games of the season, DeMar DeRozan likened the weeks forward to the laborious days of a wedding.
“What’s the saying when you get married? Through sickness and health, you stick through it,” DeRozan stated after Thursday’s 116-105 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. “That’s how I look at it when I’m with a group of guys. Through sickness and health, till death do us part.”
The Bulls are three video games beneath .500 at 26-29 after shedding their second straight. Executive vice chairman of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas earlier than the sport continued to evangelise consistency after opting to not make a transfer on the commerce deadline, just for the group to lose to the Nets hours later.
Answers must come from inside.
The Bulls have did not string collectively greater than three consecutive wins this season. And whereas they’re on observe to slide into the play-in match — they’re in ninth place within the Eastern Conference — losses this week to the Memphis Grizzlies and Nets made it clear how shortly the season can flip in the wrong way.
The points are acquainted and irritating: poor 3-point taking pictures, a scarcity of power to start out halves, lackluster protection. DeRozan expressed confusion concerning the supply of the Bulls’ inconsistency after almost two full seasons of the core taking part in collectively.
“It is surprising because we do so much great things throughout the game,” stated DeRozan, who scored 14 factors within the loss. “It just seems like we just can’t sustain it long enough.”
DeRozan repeated perception in his group’s capacity to seek out consistency down the stretch. But urgency has begun to creep into the veteran’s outlook.
“I look at it like a challenge,” DeRozan stated. “Every single day goes by, the much less alternative to have the ability to tackle the problem. It makes it harder and harder. The margin for error is getting slimmer and slimmer. …
“We’ve got 27 games now? It’s going to fly. We need every one of these games.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com