The Chicago Bulls are coming off one of the season’s best, most intense victories. Down by as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Bulls narrowed the Lakers advantage to one point with 46 seconds remaining.
An Austin Reaves layup and subsequent free throws gave Los Angeles a five-point, seemingly insurmountable lead with 12 seconds to go. Then, the unthinkable happened. Head Coach Billy Donovan drew up a quick, efficient out-of-bounds play, giving Patrick Williams an open triple, which he knocked down, with 10 seconds left.
Following Williams’ three-pointer to cut the Lakers’ lead to two, Josh Giddey stole an errant LeBron James’ inbound pass. The 22-year-old kicked out a pass to an open Coby White, who drilled a triple to give the Bulls the lead. After a Los Angeles timeout, advancing the ball to the frontcourt, an uncontested Reaves lay-in put the Lakers back on top—with three seconds remaining.
Sans a timeout, Giddey inbounded the ball to Williams, who quickly passed it back. With time expiring, the Aussie launched a 47-foot heave to retake the lead. Miraculously, Giddey’s shot went in, giving the Bulls their fourth straight victory and eighth win in their past 10 contests.
The Bulls have dominated fourth quarters in recent outings
Despite the 16-point deficit entering the final frame, there was no reason to doubt the Bulls’ comeback potential. Amid Chicago’s impressive 10-game stretch, they lead the NBA in fourth-quarter net rating by a wide margin. The Bulls’ net rating is a mind-boggling 37.2—14.6 points better than the next-best team.
The Bulls pace the league in fourth-quarter offensive and defensive net rating over the past 10 contests. Even on a broader scale (18 games and counting), the Bulls rank in the top three in total, offensive, and defensive fourth-quarter net rating since the All-Star break.
Chicago’s astounding fourth-quarter successes have been a major catalyst in their post-All-Star break turnaround. Prior to the All-Star break, the Bulls ranked 23rd in fourth-quarter net rating, 25th offensively, and 18th defensively. Interestingly enough, Chicago was above-average in third quarters to begin the season—ranking in the top half in net rating and plus/minus before the All-Star break. Then came the fourth, where the Bulls struggled most.
Chicago’s pre-All-Star break mishaps didn’t even come in the clutch. Surprisingly, the Bulls’ clutch win percentage is nearly the same pre- and post-All-Star Game. Chicago ranked 17th in clutch net rating before February 20. Although the Bulls are 5-5 in the clutch since the break, their net rating is more representative of their fourth-quarter prowess. The Billy Donovan-led squad ranks fourth in the NBA in clutch net rating over this span.
While numerous variables must be accounted for when assessing the Bulls’ post-All-Star break success, including the many individual improvements across the roster, the fourth-quarter and clutch improvements are indicative of a legitimate, quality team capable of making noise in the playoffs. For reference, the other squads rounding out the top five in fourth-quarter net rating over the past 10 games are: the Minnesota Timberwolves, LA Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Golden State Warriors. All four aforementioned squads have eclipsed the 41-win mark and are 7-3 or better in their last 10 affairs.
