Billy Donovan says the Chicago Bulls must make adjustments to take care of sizable leads late in games

Originally posted on FanNation All Bulls
By Stephen Beslic | Last updated 3/21/24

The Chicago Bulls thrive in pressure-packed situations, mainly because of DeMar DeRozan's late-game brilliance. However, head coach Billy Donovan says it doesn’t always have to be that way.

After the Bulls triumphed over the Portland Trail Blazers, 110-107, in a game in which they led by 15 points in the fourth, Donovan stressed the importance of making adjustments to take care of sizable leads late in games.

It can’t happen again

Early in the fourth, the Bulls were comfortably ahead by 15, 92-77, when they began settling for jump shots and failing to control the game's tempo. This allowed the Blazers to go on a blistering run and eventually take a 105-102 lead. Fortunately, the heroics of DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, and Nikola Vucevic allowed the Bulls to recover and win 110-107.

“Something that we have to correct and get better at,” Donovan said.

“It happened in Indiana [when] we were up by eight to start the fourth. We have to look at those possessions in terms of the guys understanding what the things are in games that change momentum.”

MAMA.. THERE GOES THAT MAN pic.twitter.com/92YLsmQdLD
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) March 19, 2024

Let go of the rope

Chicago took its eyes off the prize and paid dearly for it. No lead is safe in a league where even the bottom-dwelling squads have high-quality players. The Blazers capitalized on the Bulls' mistakes and made a late push to steal the game.

“We got lackadaisical, we got careless with the ball and started to be not so aggressive,” DeRozan said.

“We let them get downhill, fouled them, let them get layups. We let go of the rope a little bit.”

Fortunately, the Bulls have plenty of experience playing in these situations. Chicago has played the most clutch minutes this season—clutch means the score is within five points in the final five minutes of a game—and they felt at ease despite being down late in the match.

“We’ve got experience with it, I think,” Caruso said.

“Just from the last couple of years, you know, pretty much the same group plus or minus a few guys that haven’t been here for us. I think we just learn from the losses when we haven’t played well and find a way. We have that collective belief that at the end of the game, we’re gonna just find a way, find a play to make.”