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Chicago Bulls' schedule looks promising as the race for a spot in the Play-in Tournament heats up
With only 17 games remaining on the Chicago Bulls’ regular season slate, the race for a spot in the Play-in Tournament is getting more intense than ever. The Bulls are in ninth place with a 31-34 record, but the Atlanta Hawks are within 1.5 games at no. 10. However, one thing the Bulls have going for them is that they have a relatively easy schedule compared to some of their competitors.
Five games ahead of the 11th-place Brooklyn Nets
The Bulls have a hefty cushion over the Brooklyn Nets, the team currently 11th in the Eastern Conference standings. According to Bulls insider K.C. Johnson, it would take a meltdown of “epic proportions” for the Nets to make up the five-game gap and overtake the Bulls for a spot in the Play-in Tournament.
Chicago controls their destiny, needing victories against teams like the Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, and the Portland Trail Blazers to solidify their place in the Play-in Tournament.
“With three games remaining against Washington and one each against Detroit and Portland, the Bulls have a five-game lead over the 11th-place Brooklyn Nets. If they fall out of the play-in picture, it would be a collapse of epic proportions,” Johnson wrote.
Nothing is set in stone
However, given that the Bulls have already lost twice to the Pistons, the worst team in the entire league, it's clear that they cannot take any game for granted. Given everything according to plan, Chicago may end up hosting a Play-in Tournament game, unlike last season, when they had to go on the road to try and secure the eighth seed, eventually falling short to the Miami Heat.
“Of course, given that the Pistons have won two of three meetings, nothing is a given for the Bulls. But they likely will finish in the same spot as last season, with the need to win two play-in games to advance to a first-round matchup against the Boston Celtics. The only difference is they could very well play host to the first game,” Johnson added.
