NBA

Chicago Bulls Playoff Update: Bulls Scuffling After Loss to Nets

The Bulls are currently tied with the Heat for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East

The Chicago Bulls had an opportunity to sew up a playoff spot on Saturday afternoon, but they were unable to do so as they fell 107-106 to the lowly Brooklyn Nets.

With the loss, the Bulls missed out on a chance to give themselves great footing in the playoff hunt heading into the season’s final days, and they also dropped back into a tie with the Miami Heat for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

So where exactly do the Bulls stand? What would they need to do in order to clinch a playoff berth? And who could they play in the first round of the postseason?

To answer those questions, we’re running through the scenarios and possibilities in this installment of our Bulls Playoff Update.

Where Things Stand:

The Bulls would have needed some help on Saturday if they were going to clinch a playoff berth, but they didn’t even give themselves a chance as they lost to the NBA’s worst team in Brooklyn.

Even with the loss however, the Bulls are still shockingly in control of their own destiny. They are currently tied with the Heat for the eight playoff spot, and they hold the tiebreaker over Miami based on their head-to-head record against them this season.

The Bulls are one game behind the Indiana Pacers for the seventh spot, and they also hold a tiebreaker over them in the race for playoff seeding. The loss to the Nets did put them two games behind Milwaukee for sixth, so the Bulls will not be able to overtake the Bucks, as they lost the season series to them.

Who Could the Bulls Play?

The best the Bulls can do now is finish in seventh place, as they lose tiebreakers to both Milwaukee and Atlanta in the standings.

With that in mind, the two teams that the Bulls could potentially face in the first round are the Cleveland Cavaliers, who currently own the top spot in the East, or the Boston Celtics, who are currently in second place. There is an outside chance that the Bulls could play Toronto, but that would require the Raptors to win out and the Celtics to lose out in order to come to fruition.

What Comes Next?

After blowing a golden opportunity to hold their ground and secure their playoff footing, the Bulls will be back in action on Monday night when they welcome the Orlando Magic to the United Center. The Bulls will likely be in desperation mode, knowing that two straight wins to finish the season would secure their playoff berth.

The Heat will be taking on the Cavaliers at home on Monday, and a Heat loss would give the Bulls an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot with a win on Monday.

The Pacers will also be in action on Monday, taking on the Philadelphia 76’ers in a road tilt in the City of Brotherly Love. The Pacers also control their own destiny, as winning out would secure them no worse than the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. 

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