5 of the Biggest nail-biting Bulls games of the 2018–19 Season
In a tough season for a Bulls team that lacked wins, faced many injuries, experienced a coaching change, and traded away a couple of players, there were a handful of games that were gems throughout this rollercoaster of a season. Let's look at some of the most memorable games of the 2018–19 season.
5. Jan. 4,119–116 loss to the Indiana Pacers in OT
Even though it was a loss, it was still an exciting game from start to finish. Kris Dunn, believe it or not, had a whopping career-high, 17 assists, against a Pacers team that had the best record for the month of December in the NBA (12–3).
Lauri Markkanen opened the game by drilling a three-pointer and the Bulls ran away with an early 11 point lead (4–15) in the first quarter and maintained a lead up until three minutes into the third quarter as the Pacers had found a groove by attacking the basket and getting fast break plays led by Victor Oladipo and Tyreke Evans. Victor Oladipo then had an amazing 10 point run by himself to lift the Pacers to a six-point lead near the end of the third quarter. The Bulls and Pacers would trade the lead back and forth for the rest of the game.
With the Bulls down 105–102 with 6.5 seconds left in the fourth, Zach LaVine got the ball off a pass from Shaquille Harrison at the top of the three-point line about 8 feet extended. LaVine made a pump fake, took a side dribble step-back to his left, pulled up, and drained a three with less than 4 seconds to go, taking the game into overtime.
In overtime, the back and forth lead changes continued. The Bulls led by three points with a minute left in overtime after a ferocious Kris Dunn dunk over Miles Turner. Oladipo then countered by sinking a three-pointer to tie it under a minute. The Pacers followed that, making another three-pointer by a wide-open Miles Turner giving the Pacers a three-point lead under 30 seconds. Lauri Markkanen was able to hit a three of his own, tieing the game once again at 116 with under 10 seconds left, forcing the Pacers to call a timeout. The Pacers, after the timeout, ran an isolation play by Oladipo where he pulled up from three at the top of the key and banked it with three-tenths of a second left on the clock! Oladipo finished with 36.
The Bulls did not quit as they called a timeout to run one more play of their own. The Bulls ran a sideline out of bounds play to Zach LaVine coming off a Markkanen and Carter Jr. double screen where LaVine got the inbound pass in the corner and knocked down a “would-be” tieing three but the replay showed that he stepped out of bounds prior to taking the shot, causing it not to count, and resulting in a Bulls loss. Zach finished with 31 points. It was still a good ass game by the Bulls.
4. Dec. 15, win against the Spurs 98–93
The Bulls had lost their first battle against the Spurs during the 2018–2019 season on November 26th by a point (107–108) with Fred as their coach. With Boylen promoted to head coach 12 days prior to this game, this game was meaningful to him because he was a previous assistant coach with the Spurs winning three championships under Popovich's system.
The Bulls came into the game severely wounded, with LaVine, Parker, and Valentine out. The uncanny lineup consisted of Justin Holiday, Kris Dunn, Ryan Arcidiacono, Wendell Carter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen. The game got ugly for the Bulls kind of fast. The Bulls managed to fall behind by 16 with 11 minutes in the second quarter. This game had “blow-out loss” stamped all over it for the Bulls. The Bulls couldn’t find an answer to the Spurs as they went on a scoring drought finishing the first half with 43 points to the Spurs’ 62.
The Bulls “spurred” a comeback on the road led by Dunn in the third quarter cutting the lead to one late in the third. The Bulls continued to tread water with the Spurs but never completely dived in to steal the lead as they remained behind them. The Bulls were able to clinch their first lead of the game with 1:39 left in the 4th. With the Bulls up by one with 9.7 seconds left in the game and the shot clock down to 3.6 tics, Dunn sealed the game hitting a shot from the free throw line extended (his favorite spot) giving the Bulls a three point cushion. Dunn was able to ice the game with free throws as the Spurs tried to play the foul game to no avail. The Bulls won the game, 98–93. Kris Dunn finished with 24 points and seven rebounds. The Bulls never gave up and played hard all the way through despite missing some of their key players against a Spurs team that was on a four-game winning streak prior.
3. Feb. 23, 126–116 win against Boston
This game was a redemption game as the Celtics had handed the Bulls their worst home loss in franchise history back on Dec. 8, losing, 133-77.
A perfect title for this game would be the Zach & Lauri show as they combined for 77 points in the win. (ironic that they matched exactly how many points they scored as a team in the loss two months prior) Lauri also added 15 boards. This was a game that no-one expected the Bulls to win especially considering the embarrassing annihilation they faced from the Celtics in their previous meeting. Chicago led this game by double digits for most of the game after the second quarter but the pesky Celtics wouldn’t back down. The Bulls largest lead was up to 25 points (62–87) midway in the third but there was still an aura that the Celtics still weren't completely out of the game.
The Celtics did bring the game back in single digits early into the fourth, 86–94 with 10:20 in the 4th. The Celtics continued to pry at the lead but the Lauri and Zach two-man game was unstoppable. They were having a shooting frenzy from deep, shooting 44.4 percenttogether (8–18). This game was very eye-catching because it gave us a glimpse of just how good Lauri and Zach’s pick and roll or pick and pop game can be when they reach their primes and how they will mesh very well for years to come.
2. March 6, 108–107 win against the Philadelphia 76ers
This was one of the Bulls’ two nationally televised games this season so this was a statement game for the Bulls against a loaded 76ers team. In a game with 19 lead changes and authentic play-by-play broadcasting by ESPN’s Dorris Burke, the battle went all the way until the final milliseconds of the game. The 76ers were also missing their best player, Joel Embiid.
The Bulls started the game slow falling behind, 12–4, at the nine-minute mark. But Zach LaVine was able to get in the paint at will. The Bulls then captured their first lead of the game, 24–21. Lopez also made a nice contribution to this game as well with 19 points and 9 rebounds.
At the 4:01 mark in the 3rd the United Center trembled in praise as Bulls fans witnessed the play of the year for the Bulls. Ryan Arcidiacono made a miraculous diving save, tipping the ball to Otto Porter before landing out of bounds sacrificing his body against the players sitting on the bench, Otto Porter took one dribble and threw an on-target lob alley-oop to Zach LaVine who caught the ball mid-air and finished the fancy tomahawk with a vengeance.
LaVine showed his clutch gene, tying the game at 105 all with :47 off a runner in the lane. He then hit the game-winning layup when the Bulls were down by one off of an inbound pass give and go ran perfectly between LaVine and Lopez allowing Zach LaVine to drive almost uncontested into the lane and finish the layup off the backboard leaving 1.6 seconds left in the game sending LaVine to the free throw line, ending in a Bulls victory. LaVine finished with the game-high 39 points.
1. March 1, 168–161 4OT win against the Hawks
This game had an outcome that no one would have seen coming. In a game that seemed like it would never end, the Bulls came out on top after four overtimes in what was the third highest scoring game ever.
Defense was basically non-existent in this game after a certain point. The Bull led by 11 with 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter (106–95) but the Hawks “weren’t going”. The game quickly flipped as the Hawks took a quick lead (121–116) with 1:01 left in the 4th. Otto Porter Jr. scored five straight points off of a three-pointer and a layup to tie the game up at 121 all, but Trae Young hit a 3-pointer of his own with 2.2 seconds left in the fourth putting Atlanta ahead, 124–121. Porter Jr. then tried to tie the game again by shooting a three but he was fouled, which resulting in Porter Jr. making three free throws to send the game into its first overtime.
In the first overtime, the Bulls fell behind quickly after a Trae Young 4 point play but they were able to regain composure and a lead about halfway through the first overtime. With the Bulls ahead by two, 140–138 with two seconds left, Trae Young drove to basket netting a layup off the backboard sending the game into double overtime.
The game was up for grabs but neither team could hold a lead long enough.
The game was finally decided in the fourth overtime. The Hawks just ran out of gas. There were too many exciting plays to name in this game as this was the most thrilling nail biter of the season because through three overtimes you couldn’t tell which team would come away with the win. Zach LaVine scored a career-high 47 points and Trae Young also had a career-high 49. Makkanen and Porter Jr. each had 31 a piece. The Bulls won, 168–161, in a historic finish.
