CHICAGO — The Chicago Bulls entered Thursday night’s game against the Toronto Raptors feeling optimistic for the first time in weeks. Several key players were back from injury. The All-Star break had given the team time to rest and reset. Yet when the final horn sounded at the United Center, the scoreboard told the same painful story the Bulls have been living all season: another loss, their seventh in a row.
The final score was Toronto 110, Chicago 101.
It was a mildly competitive game that slipped away in the closing minutes, but the result felt inevitable for a franchise mired in what can only be described as a nightmare season.
With head coach Billy Donovan away from the team following the death of his father, assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. took over on the sideline. Unseld did what he could with a roster that still looks like a patchwork puzzle after the February trade deadline, but the familiar problems — sloppy turnovers, lack of cohesion, and an inability to close out games — doomed the Bulls once again.
Brandon Ingram was unstoppable for the Raptors, pouring in a game-high 31 points along with 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and Ja’Kobe Walter each added 14 points, while RJ Barrett chipped in 13. Toronto improved to 33-23 and sits fifth in the Eastern Conference, winning for the eighth time in its last 12 games.
For the Bulls (24-32, 11th in the East), the night began with promise. Josh Giddey and Tre Jones returned from hamstring injuries, each logging roughly 21½ minutes. Jalen Smith was back after missing time with a calf issue. The team entered the game healthier than it had been in weeks — yet still found a way to lose.
Anfernee Simons, in his fifth game since arriving from Boston, led Chicago with 20 points. Isaac Okoro added 16. Jones finished with 12 points and 6 assists. Giddey struggled, shooting just 1-for-7 for 5 points while committing 4 turnovers. Matas Buzelis played nearly 31 minutes but managed only 4 points.
The Bulls committed 20 turnovers that led to 28 points for Toronto. The first quarter alone took 35 minutes to complete because of nine combined fouls and 13 turnovers. In the fourth quarter, Chicago made one last push. Anfernee Simons hit a 3-pointer to cap a 7-0 run and cut the deficit to 103-101 with 2:12 remaining. But Collin Murray-Boyles answered with a three-point play, and Ingram sealed the win with a 17-footer and a dagger 3-pointer in the final minute.
Perhaps the most surprising sight of the night was Jaden Ivey in street clothes on the bench with a “DNP — coach’s decision” next to his name — the first time in his NBA career he has been held out for non-injury reasons. Ivey, who has been dealing with lingering knee soreness, said he is practicing fully and believes he is available, but Unseld chose to go in another direction with six guards now on the roster.
After the game, Ivey spoke with quiet faith about the uncertainty of his situation.
“I’m sure people can call it out that I’m not the same player as I used to be,” he said. “That’s why. I’m not the JI I used to be. But the old JI is dead. I’m alive in Christ… No matter how many DNPs I don’t get to play or no matter how many points I score, those things are a temporary thing.”
He added: “I don’t really trust the NBA setting. I trust the Lord. That’s the main thing. He places me where I need to be.”
The loss dropped the Bulls to 10-1 in their last 11 games since the trade deadline, when the front office shipped out most of the veterans on expiring contracts. The new pieces — Simons, Okoro, Ivey and others — have yet to find chemistry. The rotation feels forced, the offense disjointed, and defensive lapses continue to plague a team that once prided itself on toughness.
Chicago now opens a seven-game homestand that suddenly looks daunting. The Detroit Pistons come to town Saturday night, followed by the New York Knicks on Sunday in a back-to-back.
For a franchise that entered the season with modest playoff hopes, the reality has become a full-blown nightmare. Even when healthier, even at home, even after a break, the Bulls cannot stop the bleeding.
Seven straight losses. Twenty-four wins, thirty-two losses. Eleventh in the East.
And the schedule keeps coming.
The nightmare season continues.