Presented by Jeff Vukovich, Nationwide Insurance Agent
From New Orleans to Philadelphia, with 80 games in total between the two, The Chicago Bulls unveiled their schedule on Thursday.
They will open their season at the Pelicans on Oct. 23, close at the 76ers on April 13 and open their season at home on Oct. 26 against Alex Caruso and the Oklahoma City Thunder. They have 13 consecutive game streaks, a five-game home streak in March, their best total of the season, and a six-game road trip in March, their best total of the season.
As with any new season, there are plenty of storylines. DeMar DeRozan returns to the United Center with the Sacramento Kings for a matinee on January 12. LeBron James makes his only appearance in Chicago on March 27. And Josh Giddey returns to Oklahoma City on March 31.
With a revamped team centered on a youth movement, the Bulls will be tested early. Nine of their first 13 games will come against playoff teams, including last season’s No. 1 seed in the Western Conference in the home opener against the Thunder and the two Western Conference finalists in back-to-back games in Dallas and Minnesota on Nov. 6-7.
The Bulls will also face the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics three times before Christmas, including back-to-back home-and-away games on Dec. 19 in Boston and Dec. 21 in Chicago.
For the second straight season, the Bulls will play the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers on separate road trips. They will face the Clippers on Jan. 21 as part of a three-game road trip that concludes in San Francisco against Olympic hero Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers’ road game on March 22 is part of that season-high six-game alternation.
If you’re into stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo will visit Dec. 23-28, wrapping up a four-game season series with the Milwaukee Bucks before the New Year. French silver medalist Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will make their only trip on Jan. 7. Nikola Jokic, who was ejected from his only appearance at the United Center last season, will visit with the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 27. And Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks will be in Chicago on March 29.
The Bulls will get a chance to play just before the All-Star break with three games against the young Detroit Pistons in 10 days, including the rare set of back-to-back home games on Feb. 11-12. The Bulls will then exit the break on Feb. 20 with a tough matchup against Tom Thibodeau, Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks.
The Bulls’ busiest months are November and January, with 16 games each. They only play one back-to-back in the final month of April, which is followed by a play-in tournament that the Bulls have eliminated for two straight seasons.
Who knows what this season will bring? With Giddey joining first-round draft pick Matas Buzelis, free-agent signing Jalen Smith and Chris Duarte coming off the DeRozan sign-and-trade, there are some new faces. Re-signed Patrick Williams should take a leap forward like Coby White did last season, while Ayo Dosunmu remains firmly in the rotation.
Lonzo Ball will also be looking to make a near-unprecedented comeback after more than two and a half years on the sidelines and three knee surgeries, including a cartilage transplant. There’s also the ongoing trade drama that still seems to surround Zach LaVine.
Thursday’s release included only 80 games, with two to be added depending on the Bulls’ performance in the four-game NBA Cup group stage schedule.
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