© David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The next set of games will indicate if the Chicago Bulls are for real or not
Could the recent four-game winning streak be the high point of the Chicago Bulls’ season? Or are they in for better things? The answer will be known soon as the Bulls embark on a tough stretch of games that will see them take on powerhouse squads from both the East and West.
Reigning champs
There’s no rest for the weary. Not long after taking on and losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in overtime, 133-129, the Bulls have the unenviable task of facing off against Nikola Jokic and the reigning NBA champions Denver Nuggets.
Though the Nuggets have struggled on the road, going just 6-8 so far this season, the team still poses a tough match-up for the Bulls, especially with Jokic rediscovering his shooting touch in their 129-122 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
The game versus the Nuggets is just the tip of the iceberg, as the Bulls will take on Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat twice before battling reigning MVP Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Then, Chicago caps off this stretch with a match against LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Team has come together
Veteran wingman DeMar DeRozan said the four-game winning streak allowed the team to build more chemistry and get on the same page. After a miserable start to the season that included a string of games where they lost eight of nine, the Bulls have come together, rediscovering their brand of basketball and becoming a team that should not be just a footnote in the NBA's season.
“We’ve come together,” DeRozan said. “We dropped this one tonight; it was tough. We understand it’s all about the way you compete. We lost, but we all competed. Couple of calls didn’t go our way. Just have another challenge and face another good team (Tuesday against Denver).”
