Bulls enter ‘must-win’ territory tonight against depleted Jazz

After losing to a historically poor Pistons team for the second time this season, it seemed like all hope was lost for the Chicago Bulls. Rather than let the season slip away, the Bulls defied all our expectations. They picked up two wins in their next three games as underdogs against the heavily favored Cavaliers, Bucks and Kings to right their wrongs.

Despite knocking out three games against elite competition, the Bulls still have three legs of their four-game West Coast road trip on the schedule. Next in the dock is the Utah Jazz (28-34), who, much like Chicago, are struggling to keep their heads above water and stay in the playoff picture.

This would generally be a game I would be apprehensive about Chicago’s chances of winning. After all, since joining Utah, the former Bulls’ prized prospect Lauri Markkanen excelled in games against the team that passed on him. Every game feels like a revenge game for Markkanen, as he has averaged an outstanding 29.7 points and 6 rebounds while shooting 48.3% from long range in his last three games against the Bulls.

Fortunately, it looks like the Bulls might dodge a bullet here tonight, as Lauri was officially ruled out tonight with a quadriceps injury. He won’t be Utah’s only scratch tonight, as Walker Kessler, Taylor Hendricks and Otto Porter Jr. are all listed on the roster while Keyonte George is questionable to play due to illness.

The Jazz rotation should look particularly thin without all of these players tonight. Expect Jordan Clarkson, Talen-Horton Tucker and former Bulls guard Kris Dunn to get increased starts off the bench to make up for the loss of up to three starters.

This is a big opportunity for the Bulls to bounce back against an undermanned Jazz and move ahead to 30-32 with a road win. Winning three of four games during this tough stretch might even be enough to make up for the embarrassment they suffered against Detroit.

The Bulls currently sit in 9th place in the East with a two-game lead over the 10th-seeded Hawks. If they play up to their standards for the rest of the season, there’s no reason to think the Bulls won’t qualify for the play-in tournament. Chicago has the 8th remaining strength on the NBA schedule, so there’s no excuse for this team to limp across the finish line.

Meanwhile, the teams directly ahead of the Bulls in the standings might not fare as well. The Heat and Embiid-less 76ers each have a six-game lead on Chicago, while the eighth-seeded Pacers have a five-game lead on the Bulls. That’s a big gap to jump over, but it might be manageable considering Indiana has the 7th toughest remaining schedule and the 76ers will struggle without their superstar to lead them to the playoffs.

With 21 games remaining on the schedule, this could be Chicago’s last chance to build momentum for a true playoff run. Coby White And DeMar DeRozan have already shouldered a heavy burden to get the Bulls this far by leading the league in minutes played, so it’s time for the rest of the team to step up and support Chicago’s new star duo. It all starts here tonight in what looks like a “must-win” game against the depleted Jazz.