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The Bulls Wednesday closed out the 2017-18 season much as they began it, losing a fourth consecutive game and 11th in the last 14, this time 119-87 to the Detroit Pistons.The Bulls finished 27-55, their first season with fewer than 30 wins since 2003-04 when they were 23-59. It was the first season the Bulls recorded fewer than 40 wins since 2007-08. That was the season the Bulls ended up getting the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft lottery and selecting Derrick Rose in the draft.The team’s attention now turns to that NBA draft. The Bulls finish with the seventh poorest record in the NBA unless Sacramento loses later Wednesday night. Then they would be tired for sixth poorest. The May 15 lottery drawing will determine the draft order with the drawing for the top three picks. After that, the selections go in order by record.The Bulls were led by Lauri Markkanen with 20 points. He was three of seven on threes and set a franchise rookie record for most three pointers made. Sean Kipatrick had 14 points. Bobby Portis had 11 off the bench and Jerian Grant 10. David Nwaba added 13 and Cristiano Felicio 10.The Pistons had a 20-11 edge in fast break points and 44-24 off the bench.The Pistons were without the injured Blake Griffin. Andre Drummond stayed out, also. Robin Lopez and Justin Holiday didn’t play for the Bulls, who introduced Markkanen last with the starters. Markkanen also delivered the pregame remarks to the fans for the final home game. Kilpatrick got his first start along with recent regular starters Markkanen, Cameron Payne, Nwaba and Felicio. The Bulls got off to a 12-7 start as Markkanen closed within one of Kirk Hinrich’s Bulls rookie record for three pointers. But the Pistons using the three effectively piled a 15-0 run on the Bulls to take a 22-12 lead. The Bulls made a bit of a move on a Ryan Arcidiaciono steal and fast break for a Nwaba three-point play. But the Pistons closed the quarter with six straight for a 35-21 lead after one quarter. The Pistons shot 70 percent and made five of six threes while the Bulls missed seven of nine threes in the quarter. The Pistons hit the gas again to open the second quarter to speed ahead 46-27. The Bulls scored six straight with Arcidiacono adding a three before the Pistons found the three ball range again for a 56-40 lead with 2:46 left in the first half. With Henry Ellenson adding a pair of late threes, the Pistons went into halftime lading 66-50. Detroit still was at 57.8 percent shooting at the half and 10 of 19 on threes. Markkanen had a dozen points while Anthony Tolliver had 18 for the Pistons.The Pistons finally cooled off and the Bulls defense awakened some early in the second half, the Bulls hitting the Pistons with a 10-0 run behind the play of Markkanen with a three, fouled on a three-point attempt and then with a steal, behind the back and full court dribble that had the Bulls within 71-63. Detroit missed five straight shots with a pair of turnovers. But then the Pistons answered with their own 11-0 streak featuring the play of Ish Smith to regain a 20-point lead. The Pistons then went into the fourth quarter leading 94-74. The Pistons extended that with a 10-2 run to open the fourth quarter.

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Bulls fall to the Pistons, 119-87.

Sam Smith

And then there were two. This unfulfilling Bulls season now has two games left with Saturday’s 124-96 Bulls loss to the Brooklyn Nets.The Bulls and Nets now are tied at 27-53 with the teams meeting again Monday in Brooklyn. The Bulls close the 2017-18 season Wednesday in the United Center against Detroit.For those watching the bottom of the standings, the Bulls and Nets are tied for the seventh poorest records in the NBA. If they end up tied, they would divide the number of lottery chances at that place in the standings.The Bulls were led by Sean Kilpatrick with 20 points. Bobby Portis had 18 and eight rebounds. Justin Holiday had 15 points. Cristiano Felicio had 14 points and 11 rebounds and Jerian Grant had 13 points. Kilpatrick scored at least 20 points for the third consecutive game and now had scored in double figures in six of his seven games with the Bulls.The Nets in a barrage of three point shots were 24 of 55 from three-point range. The Bulls were six of 29 on threes.Lauri Markkanen sat out because it was the second of a back to back after his back problems. The Bulls also were without Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, Antonio Blakeney, Paul Zipser, Denzel Valentine and Noah Vonleh. Portis started for Markkanen along with Holiday, Felicio, David Nwaba and Cameron Payne. Robin Lopez remained active, but doubtful to play. There is much curiosity with the player draft in these late season games for the Bulls, though the Nets don’t have their pick. It has gone to Boston and then on to Cleveland in trade. The Nets took off to a 10-3 lead and then 14-5 midday through the first quarter while the Bulls had difficulty finding the range. It was Holiday with the immediate correction out of the timeout and then Portis taking over with a series of jumpers and powerful drives and 13 first quarter points on six of nine shooting. The Nets are one of those spread and shoot threes teams and got a pair to go on the way to a 28-23 lead after one quarter. The Nets continued to fire away with their threes, their offense directed toward the pull up three with the occasional passes around the perimeter to find another. When they’re going in, it looks good. The Nets stayed ahead 41-34 midway through the quarter and then shot threes on five of six possessions, making two. But with the Bulls staggering it still was enough for a 52-46 Brooklyn lead with 3:28 left in the first half and had already attempted 24 threes to eight for the Bulls. The Nets then changed up and began to go inside and in transition and at halftime had a 63-51 lead. The Nets had attempted five free throws and 27 threes. Kilpatrick continued hot for the Bulls with 10 first half points.It unofficially became a Three Jamboree as the Nets came out in the second half even more determined with their threes. Their first five shot attempts were threes, though the Bulls matched with Payne and Felicio with a successful pick and roll and Felicio scoring three times. The Bulls trailed 72-62 three minutes into the second half when Allen Crabbe connected on a  pair of threes and the Nets shot off to an 86-69 lead with five minutes left in the third quarter. Crabbe had 12 in the third. The Nets went on heading into the fourth quarter with a 96-77 lead. The Nets then hit the Bulls with eight straight points after a pair of Kilpatrick free throws to tae a 25-point lead with about 10 minutes remaining in the game.

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Bulls fall to the Nets, 124-96

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The Bulls Monday found the nets often, but the Nets found them more as Brooklyn endured late for a 114-105 victory over the Bulls.The Bulls loss dropped them behind the Nets at 27-54 and with one game left in the Bulls season pending the later Sacramento game with the seventh poorest record in the NBA.The Bulls parried with the Nets all game, falling behind and pulling close and still within four points with four minutes left in the game. But the Nets made the crucial late plays.The Bulls were again led by Sean Kilpatrick, this time with 16 points. Cameron Payne had 15 points and Bobby Portis 14. Justin Holiday had 13 points, David Nwaba 11 and Cristiano Felicio and Lauri Markkanen each with 10.The Bulls shot 49 percent and made 12 of 28 threes. But Allen Crabbe for the Nets had 41 points and the Nets made 18 threes.The Bulls were without Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, Antonio Blakeney, Denzel Valentine, Noah Vonleh and Paul Zipser. Robin Lopez was active, but did not play. Markkanen was back in the starting lineup after the back to back rest while the Nets were without Joe Harris and Caris LaVert from their Saturday win in the United Center. Also out for the Nets was DeMarre Carroll and Jeremy Lin. And so ends a season for two teams without playoff possibilities. But as the Nets have no No. 1 draft pick from previous trades, they maintained their active three-point shooting approach. The Nets found them again to strata 13-4 Brooklyn lead after four minutes and sending the Bulls into a timeout to make sure they knew Crabbe. He scored 17 of the Nets first 19 points with four of five threes. Though Holiday found the range for 10 points in a 14-8 Bulls move that cut Brooklyn’s lead to 19-18 with five minutes left in the first. Brooklyn with Crabbe’s 20 first quarter points then scored eight straight before the Bulls closed within 29-26 after one quarter. The Nets were six of 16 on threes in the quarter. Each team committed six turnovers. It was a surfeit of Bulls turnovers to start the second quarter, three in the first five possessions and four in the first eight and the Nets moved ahead 32-28. Ryan Arcidiacono looked for his shot and was successful as the Bulls remained within 42-39 midway through the second quarter. Arcidiacono would go on to record his career high in points. Felicio had a pair of clever snags of the ball forcefully on the run, finishing strong twice as the Bulls stayed within 53-50 with two minutes left in the first half. The Nets closed with a run accompanied by a Holiday three-point play to take a 62-55 halftime lead. Crabbe had 29 in the first half as the Nets were 10 of 25 on threes. Holiday had 13 for the Bulls and Felicio 10. The Bulls did take advantage of the long rebounds on the Nets’ threes for 13 fast break points at half to two for Brooklyn. Though the Bulls had 11 first half turnovers.The Bulls continued to claw back, falling behind 72-61 nearly midway through the third quarter before a pair of threes each from Payne and Markkanen enabled the Bulls to draw within 74-70 with 4:48 left in the third after fighting off a Crabbe roll to the basket and score. Crabbe had his career high before the third quarter concluded. The Nets kept surging ahead and the Bulls kept coming back, Nwaba with a fancy eurostep drive and a Sean Kilpatrick three to close the third quarter with the Bulls trailing 86-83. It was former Bull Spencer Dinwiddie working the Nets’ three-ball pop-a-shot to open the fourth quarter as the Nets went ahead 96-90 with eight minutes left in the game. Nwaba had a driving dunk on the fast break after a Nets turnover and Kilpatrick had yet another high scoring fourth quarter with the teams grappling for an edge down the stretch, the Nets continuing to nudge ahead 106-102 with 4:14 left in the game. It was D’Angelo Russell confounding the Bulls in the last minutes with adept ball handling and finding teammates, Jarrett Allen with a lob slam to make it Nets 110-102 with 2:26 left. The Bulls closed the game with Arcidiacono, Jerian Grant, Nwaba, Felicio and Kilpatrick.

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Bulls fall to the Nets, 114-105

The Bulls Friday were baked in beantown and the Boston Celtics pulled away late for a 111-104 victory over the Bulls.

The teams traded leads much of the game until the Celtics still with a four-point lead with two minutes left in the game got a fast break dunk after a block of a potential layup and then a three. It proved enough to hold off the Bulls despite 24 points off the bench from Sean Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick also was five of seven on threes.

The Bulls got 20 points from Lauri Markkanen, 15 from Jerian Grant, 11 from Cameron Payne and 10 from David Nwaba. Each team made 14 three pointers while the Celtics shot 55.6 percent overall and had 35 assists. The teams combined to miss 17 free throws.

The Bulls dropped to 27-52. Boston is 54-25. The Bulls had their three-game winning streak stopped.

It was like taking attendance at school on a snow day. The Bulls were without Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, Antonio Blakeney, Paul Zipser, Denzel Valentine and Noah Vonleh. Kyrie Irving was this week declared out for the season and playoffs. Marcus Smart remains out and Boston sat out Al Horford and Jayson Tatum. The Celtics pretty much have been locked into the second seed behind Toronto and now ahead of Philadelphia third. But also because of the Celtics injuries, teams toward the bottom of the East playoffs have been eying the Celtics as a preferable first round opponent because of their injuries.

The Bulls opened well behind the shooting of Markkanen with a pair of threes. Boston’s Jaylen Brown offset Markkanen’s scoring and the Celtics led 16-15 at the first timeout. Boston then led 27-24 after one quarter as the Bulls got their first look at former Bulls Omer Asia from the Nikola Mirotic trade. It was a parade of names, some familiar, though with the players unfamiliar as the Celtics played Jabari Bird. Boston also started Guerschon Yabusele and 10 of the 20 players who played in the first half were either undrafted or second round picks. Nwaba, who started again for the Bulls, appeared to get injured having a shot blocked. He played a few more possessions and then left the game and to the locker room in the second quarter with a slight limp.

The Bulls got on a bit of a run with a pair of Markkanen scores on transition, Markkanen with 14 points in the first half. That 8-0 spurt got the Bulls a 51-40 lead. Kilpatrick added 10 as he continues to find ways to score. But with a boost from Jabari Bird off the bench with 13 points, the Celtics drew within 58-55 at halftime. Boston shot 56 percent in the first half with multiple scores inside on back door cuts for dunks. The Celtics had 18 first half assists. The Bulls were seven of 11 on threes in the first half.

Nwaba was back out to start the second half, but uncertain with a pair of turnovers on the first two Bulls possessions. Boston took advantage with a 9-2 start to the second half before a Payne three, Markkanen with a lob dunk on a pass from Payne and another Payne three got the Bulls a 70-69 lead. Brown continued firing shots for the Celtics and then Marcus Morris and Bobby Portis exchanged verbal shots and were ejected with 1:44 in the third quarter. His twin brother, Markieff, had been ejected earlier in the evening in his Wizards game. Boston led 79-76 after three quarters. Kilpatrick’s back to back threes and Asik rolling in for a score on a Ryan Arcidiacono pass gave the Bulls an 86-84 lead three minutes into the fourth quarter.

But then the Bulls got careless with passing and ball handing. The Celtics took advantage with a 7-0 run to take a 99-90 lead with five minutes left in the game on a pair of Greg Monroe scores. Brown ended with a triple double. As usual for the Bulls lately, Markkanen sat out the fourth quarter. Boston led 102-92 with 3:46 left when Arcidiacono and Kilpatrick made threes and it looked like the Bulls might make it four straight. But Jabari Bird had a chase down block on a Bulls fast break. Justin Holiday then missed. Boston turned that into a fast break dunk and then got another three from Brown to clinch the victory. Brown had 32 points.

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Bulls fall to Celtics in Boston 111-104

chikstrycharz

The Bulls Tuesday continued to be the NBA's team for April with their third consecutive victory, 120-114 over the Charlotte Hornets.

The Bulls raised their record to 27-51. Charlotte fell to 34-45.

The Bulls were led by Lauri Markkanen with 24 points, but it was newcomer Sean Kilpatrick with 21 points, 19 in the fourth quarter, that carried the Bulls down the stretch in a frenzied close with the teams combining to score in nine consecutive possessions in one stretch and 11 of 12 overall as the Bulls continued to hold off a daring Hornets charge.

Justin Holiday added 19 points with four threes. Markkanen had five three pointers for the second consecutive game. Bobby Portis had 16 points, Jerian Grant 13 and David Nwaba 10 points with a team high nine rebounds. The Bulls were 15 of 34 on threes and had 51 points off the bench. Charlotte's Malik Monk had 16 fourth quarter points with five three in the quarter in the high scoring, entertaining close.

Denzel Valentine was scheduled for surgery on Wednesday, so he joined those out for the rest of the season. Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine and Antonio Blakeney are out for the rest of the season and Paul Zipser still is out. Robin Lopez didn't play with the team judging other interior players. Holiday started with Valentine out along with Markkanen, Cristiano Felicio, David Nwaba and Cameron Payne. Markkanen again started fast with a three in the first minute on the way to 10 first quarter points. But the Bulls could not wrestle the lead from Charlotte, who were ahead 22-19 after one quarter as Charlotte had 14 inside points to seven for the Bulls. Charlotte added to their margin early in the second quarter, taking a 31-25 lead again getting inside. The Bulls then ran off nine straight points with pressure defense causing turnovers for fast break scores. Ryan Arcidiacono passing to Kilpatrick with a Portis finish was a highlight as the Bulls nudged ahead 34-31. The Hornets reclaimed the lead with six straight points and then held the Bulls off until a Nwaba score off another turnover and threes from Holiday and Portis to give the Bulls a 53-47 halftime lead. Markkanen had 18 points in the first half and Dwight Howard 10.

Felicio opened the Bulls second half scoring with a rare baseline jumper and again the Bulls pushed the ball into offense with Holiday, Payne and Nwaba scoring on drives. Markkanen was quicker with his catch and shoot and his pair of threes gave the Bulls a 69-60 lead midway through the third quarter. Markkanen would go on to have his 24 points through three quarters. With Payne inspiring a forward looking offense, the Bulls went on to lead 86-79 heading into the fourth quarter. Noah Vonleh went out in the third with a strained calf. And then Charlotte's Monk wasn't particularly ascetic with three consecutive three pointers to bring Charlotte within 91-90 with 9:31 left in the game. Game on! Kilpatrick pushed the Bulls ahead with seven straight points ending in a three-point play on a tricky drive and pulp for a three-point play. Felicio then rebounded a miss for a Holiday three and 103-98 Bulls lead with 6:42 left. It then became a shootout down the stretch with Kilpatrick leading the Bulls, Howard dunking and Monk with a fabulous baseline driving double clutch slam dunk. But the Hornets could not wrest the lead from the Bulls.

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Bulls buzz Hornets, 120-114

It was no joke Sunday, but the Washington Wizards didn’t find it too funny. That’s because it was the Bulls with an end to end, dominating 113-94 April 1 victory.

The Bulls jumped all over the Wizards early with accurate shooting and adept passing, leading by 15 points late in the first quarter, by a rousing 68-59 at halftime and then even with their irregulars against the Wizards, the Bulls added on in the fourth quarter with a 17-point lead with three minutes left.

The Bulls raised their record to 26-51 with their second straight win, the first winning streak for the Bulls in 10 weeks. Washington fell to 42-35.

The Bulls were led by Lauri Markkanen with 23 points. Bobby Portis had 18 points, Sean Kilpatrick had 14 points, Justin Holiday had 12 points, Jerian Grant had 11 and David Nwaba had 10. The Bulls made 18 of 34 threes and had 30 assists. The Bulls shot 52.4 percent overall and had a 57-35 edge in bench points.

Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn remained out with injuries along with Paul Zipser and Antonio Blakeney. Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg missed his first game as head coach with illness. Assistant Jim Boylen took over for this game. Robin Lopez, who perhaps appropriately, was celebrating his birthday on April Fool’s Day started at center along with Justin Holiday starting. Both moved to the bench after the All-Star game. Markkanen started again and was ready, making three of four three pointers in the first quarter that helped the Bulls take a 36-27 lead after going up by 15 earlier in the first. Portis took the three-point baton and made three also as the Bulls hit eight of 11 three in the first quarter and shot 61 percent overall. Holiday added two for 10 first quarter points in a fast paced start. The Wizards began to get back up to open the second quarter with an 8-3 start, penetrating and finding shooters and rollers for scores. Four minutes into the second quarter, Washington had drawn within 45-41. Then Portis and Noah Vonleh assisted one another on successive baskets, sending the Wizards into a timeout and trailing the Bulls 52-41. The Wizards responded, but the Bulls kept up the active motion and offense with a pair of Nwaba drives and Nwaba finding Markkanen o the run for a score. Markkanen added a four point play as the Bulls took a 68-59 halftime lead. Markkanen had 15 points in the first half and Portis 13. The Bulls were 11 of 17 on threes in the half and shooting an impressive 64 percent with 21 assists, five from Nwaba.

The Bulls kept up the spirited play defined by Nwaba, who took a brutal fall on a drive, taken out of the air on a drive and falling hard on his elbow and back. After a referee review, he got up and made the two free throws and then chased down a loose ball on the next possession as the Bulls went back ahead 75-65. The Bulls defensive pressure was vital, trapping and blitzing the Washington picking roll and casting four Wizards turnovers in five possessions. With a Payne three and Marlkkanen finishing strong on a drive left the Bulls took an 85-71 lead. The Bulls cooled in the third quarter, shooting 31.6 percent. But with Washington just 33 percent in the quarter, the Bulls led 87-75 entering the fourth quarter. Each team committed seven turnovers in that unsteady third quarter. With Washington working on the second of a back to back and without John Wall, who just returned from surgery Saturday, the Bulls kept pushing and moved out to a 95-80 lead with 8:02 left on a Jerian Grant steal and three-point play.

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Bulls beat Wizards 113-94

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