By virtue of the Indiana Pacers' victory over the Brooklyn Nets, the Chicago Bulls will miss the NBA playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade.
The Bulls were in a tough spot heading into the weekend, needing to win their final three games and for the Pacers to lose their final three contests. The Bulls held up their end of the bargain on Saturday, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center, but Indiana ruined the plan as they beat the Nets and clinched a playoff berth on Sunday.
With their elimination, the Bulls will miss the postseason for the first time since the 2007-08 season. They had made the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons and in 10 of the last 11 years before a disappointing 2015-16 season under new head coach Fred Hoiberg.
After they missed the playoffs in that 2007-08 campaign, they ended up winning the NBA Draft lottery, despite only having a 1.9 percent chance of winning the first overall selection, and they used that draft pick to take Derrick Rose.
