OKLAHOMA CITY \u2014 The season is over for the Chicago Bulls.<\/p>\n
There are still nine games left to play. But with Friday\u2019s 131-113 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Bulls were officially eliminated from postseason contention, removing the last sliver of competition from the final two-week stretch of the season.<\/p>\n
The Bulls held on as long as they could in Oklahoma City, white-knuckling a slight lead over the reigning champs until the final minutes of the third quarter. But the Thunder eventually thawed out from an icy start, outscoring the Bulls 36-25 in the fourth quarter to cement the final significant loss of the visitors\u2019 season.<\/p>\n
This is the first time the Bulls have missed the postseason since 2021. After losing a first-round series to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, they qualified for the play-in tournament the last three years, only to be knocked out each time by the Miami Heat.\n<\/p>\n
The Bulls have won only one playoff game under executive vice president of basketball operations Art\u016bras Karni\u0161ovas. They have not advanced past a first-round series since 2015 and have won only three playoff games in the last decade.<\/p>\n
The Bulls have been careening toward this turning point in the season since the trade deadline, which kickstarted a 5-16 collapse as the front office (temporarily) gave up on the postseason. Still, the timeline for elimination came as news to guard Josh Giddey in the locker room after Wednesday\u2019s brutal 157-137 blowout loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.<\/p>\n
The guard\u2019s eyes widened when presented with the concept that the Bulls technically still had a shot at making the playoffs, at least for another game.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do?\u201d Giddey gave a bemused nod, then a smile. \u201cOh. Well, that\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Giddey bluntly vocalized the reality of his team\u2019s current position. Bulls players stopped keeping a keen eye on the standings after going winless in February. As of Friday, they sat 9\u00bd games behind the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference, which is currently occupied by the Orlando Magic.<\/p>\n
From their point of view, the season had been over for a while.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of a weird spot because obviously we\u2019re not mathematically eliminated but we\u2019re pretty much eliminated,\u201d Giddey said. \u201cObviously there\u2019s a lot of free agents in the room. \u2026 It can be easy to start getting into your own kind of bubble, worrying about yourself, but I think we\u2019ve just got to keep doing what we have all year and not get caught up in the playoffs or standings or anything like that. That\u2019s when we can start to splinter.\u201d<\/p>\n
This dynamic can be fraught. As one of the leaders in a chaotic Bulls locker room, Giddey understands the risks of the next few weeks. Five players on this roster were acquired at the deadline and will become free agents on April 13. The players in this for the long haul \u2014 Matas Buzelis, Tre Jones, Patrick Williams and Giddey \u2014 are still wrapping their heads around the next steps for a rebuild. When players feel lost, it\u2019s easy to fall apart on the court and in the locker room.<\/p>\n