The Chicago Bulls rebuilt their roster, and information technology's paid off. For the starting time time since the 2016-17 season, the Bulls earned a postseason booth. With DeMar DeRozan leading the way, the Bulls finished the regular flavor 46-36, despite losing iv of their last 5 games.

Chicago earned the No. half-dozen seed and a engagement with the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks. Information technology's a tough matchup, just information technology's a step up from where they've been the last few years. Although they did reach the playoffs in that 2016-17 flavor, the Boston Celtics bounced them in the start round. When was the last time the Bulls won a playoff series?

The Chicago Bulls have their easily full against the Milwaukee Bucks

Bulls guard Zach LaVine takes the court in the first half at the United Center on Jan. 30, 2022. | Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images.

The Bulls suffered a blow when newly-acquired point baby-sit Lonzo Brawl was lost for the season with a genu injury. Despite his absence, the Bulls nearly pulled off the upset in Game 1.

The Bulls also shot poorly for the game (32.iii%) simply somehow managed to hold a one-signal lead with less than six minutes to play. What hurt the Bulls was the tough start to the game.

The Bucks jumped out to a nine-0 lead early, eventually ballooning the pb to 16 points. Chicago'south poor shooting fabricated things hard to grab a pb and maintain information technology.

"We've had conversations all week well-nigh simply staying together," DeRozan said, per The Chicago Tribune. "At that place'south going to be parts of the game where it's going to get hectic, they're going to hit some shots, the crowd's going to go into information technology and we've got to pull together. Nosotros've got to stay the same.

"We were prepared for it. It sucked that it happened in the first couple minutes of the game, but we were ready for it and buckled downwardly after that."

Center Nikola Vucevic knows a good start is key for the Bulls.

"Information technology'south going to exist a very long serial if we keep getting down and trying to dig out of a pigsty," Vucevic said. "We take to beginning games amend, but we saw what we demand to practise to play with them."

When is the terminal time the Chicago Bulls won a playoff serial?

Game 1 was the commencement fourth dimension the Bulls played a postseason game in five years. Back in 2017, the Bulls squared off against the Celtics and actually won the showtime two games on the road.

The favored Celtics took control subsequently getting punched in the oral fissure. Boston went to Chicago and won the next two games handily. They returned home for Game 5 and won 108-97. The Celtics made it four straight by holding the Bulls to 83 points in Game half-dozen, winning 105-86.

The Bulls missed the playoffs the year before that but earned a first-round meeting with the Bucks during the 2014-15 flavour. With homecourt advantage, Chicago won the outset two at home then earned a 113-106 win in Milwaukee to claim a 3-0 series pb.

The Bucks didn't go down fighting, claiming the next two games and heading back to Milwaukee for a pivotal Game 6. The Bulls were all business from the outset, jumping out to a 34-sixteen lead after the first quarter and taking a 63-33 lead into halftime. Chicago cruised to a 120-66 victory. That was the last time the Bulls won a playoff serial, every bit they went on to lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games.

The Bulls volition need to clean things up in order to win another series

It's going to take a much better shooting night for the Bulls to hang with the Bucks and pull off the upset. The good news is they hung tough despite the shooting woes.

DeRozan, who shot vi-for-25, insists that won't happen over again.

"Every shot I took felt skilful. I guarantee me or Zach (LaVine) or Vooch (center Nikola Vučević) aren't going to miss that many shots once again," he said afterward Game one. "Most of the shots I took were wide open. Wide open. No way in hell I shoot 6 for 25 again."

LaVine said the Bulls had also many wasted chances in the opener.

"I idea we did a good chore with u.s. shooting this way and defending the fashion we did, keeping the game going," he said. "We had a lot of missed opportunities."

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