How do the Chicago Bulls' Play-in chances look right now?

The Chicago Bulls find themselves in a good spot at the moment.
How do the Chicago Bulls' Play-in chances look right now?
How do the Chicago Bulls' Play-in chances look right now? /
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It's been a rollercoaster of a season so far for the Chicago Bulls. Yes, there have been a lot of thrills and spills along the way. Through it all, here they are in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings, holding a 34-37 record, with 11 games remaining in the regular season.

Despite having a two and a half game lead over their closest chasers, the Washington Wizards and the Indiana Pacers, the race toward the postseason will likely be a close one, but the Bulls' chances look good at the moment.

Sizzling second half of the season

Chicago has come off the All-Star break, looking confident and playing reinvigorated basketball, thanks in large part to the arrival of fiery guard Patrick Beverley. The Bulls have leaned on their defense to go 8-4 over their last 12 games and are now just half a game behind the Toronto Raptors for the ninth spot and a game and a half behind the Atlanta Hawks for the eighth seed.

The road ahead for the Bulls, though, remains rocky, with five more games left against teams that hold .500 records or better. This includes Wednesday's rematch at home against the Philadelphia 76ers and games next week against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Dallas Mavericks.

Can the Bulls move higher?

The Bulls' chances of snagging a higher seed come down to their consistency—which is something Chicago has struggled with this season. In some games, they look like a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference. In others, they struggle to get anything going on either side of the court, even against some of the worst teams in the league.

One game to look out for is their match-up against the Hawks on April 4. They hold a 2-1 lead in their season series, and depending on how they do before then, a win might put them in a good spot in the standings when all is said and done.


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Stephen Beslic
STEPHEN BESLIC

Stephen Beslic is a writer on Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Stephen played basketball from the age of 10 and graduated from Faculty of Economic and Business in Zagreb, Croatia, majoring in Marketing.