The Bulls final week of the regular season is upon us. They will play 4 games this week:
– Milwaukee Bucks (48 – 30)
– Boston Celtics (49 – 30)
– Charlotte Hornets (40 – 38)
– @ Minnesota Timberwolves (45 – 34)
A three-game home stretch, starting with a back-to-back on Tuesday and Wednesday, and capping off the regular season with a road trip to Minnesota. All four teams have winning records which will be a good test for the Bulls heading into the playoffs. We have not shown up against winning teams, but we have played much better at home than on the road, so ideally, we can come away with at least two wins from this final stretch.
The first game probably poses the biggest challenge, going up against Giannis who has been playing out of his mind, doing his best to make his case for MVP. In three games against the Bulls this year, the Greek Freak has put up 30 – 34 – 25 points on 48%, 55% and 75% FG% respectively. The Bulls, like most teams, simply don’t have an answer for him. Giannis is going to get his, but if we can contain Khris Middleton and company, we may be able to put up a fight.
The second night of the back-to-back may be a preview of the first round of the playoffs depending on where teams end up landing in the final standings. Robert Williams being out for the season definitely helps sway the odds in the Bulls’ favor, but the Tatum/Brown tandem is always a force to be reckoned with. The Bulls do have strong perimeter defense which will help slow down Boston’s offensive attack, but they are strong defensively as well. We will need to be on our game, and will likely need a big game out of Vooch, as well as our bench, if we want to steal a win in this one.
The final home game of the season we will be paired up against the Charlotte Hornets. Lamelo has had a fantastic season, but this is probably the most winnable of all four games. The Bulls will need to win this one and hope to carry that momentum on the road to Minnesota where the season will wrap up. I can only hope that we have our seeding locked up prior to heading to play the T-Wolves. Kat and Ant Man are no joke, and they have been playing very well in the back half of the season – not something I can say about the Bulls.
We are currently sitting in 5th place in the East, with the Raptors right on our heels. We have a tough schedule ahead, but will need to finish strong to maintain our spot in the East. If the season ended today, we would match up against the 76ers – the Raptors would be matching up against the Bucks. If I had my choice of the two, I would rather play the 76ers – they have less team chemistry (just like the Bulls) and having the opportunity to knock Harden out of the playoffs would give me that much more to root for.
You can find me on Twitter @GreNBA_ give me your thoughts on ideal playoff matchups for the Bulls or for your team if you aren’t a Bulls fan. As always, thanks for reading, have a great week, this is All Net!
Jacob Grenemeier
April 3rd, 2022
Photo Credit: https://s1.ticketm.net/dam/a/172/074c3535-bfcf-49e2-a0f9-03d947862172_1340171_TABLET_LANDSCAPE_LARGE_16_9.jpg
Chicago Hoop Heads 
