BULLS LET BIG LEAD GET AWAY, DROP 3RD IN ROW
Up by 10 at halftime, Bulls collapse in 2nd half against Magic
ORLANDO, Fla. — A fragile, mercurial, consistently inconsistent Bulls team in dire need of development and chemistry is suffering growing pains of the worst kind — now it’s mental.
For the third time in five days and the fourth time in the last 10, the Bulls, playing without injured guard Dwyane Wade, lost in the most frustrating of ways: They took a double- digit lead in the first half before faltering in the third quarter and all but collapsing in the fourth in a 98- 91 loss Wednesday to the Magic at Amway Center.
Tied after three quarters — just as they were against the Pistons on Monday — the Bulls shot 5- for- 23 from the field in the fourth quarter, including 2- for- 10 on threepointers. The Bulls ( 31- 33) have lost four of their last five games, getting outscored by 21, 16, 18 and 17 points in the second half of the four losses. They have scored 18, 16 and 14 points in the fourth quarter of the last three. The Magic are 24- 41.
“We got off to another slow start in the fourth quarter,’’ coach Fred Hoiberg said. ‘‘ Then it gets in our heads a little bit and becomes mental when you have this last week of fourth quarters like we’ve had. Obviously, fourth quarters have been a huge issue for us this last week, and if we want to have any chance of playing beyond the regular season, we’re going to have to get better.”
The eventual return of Wade, still recovering from a strained left quadriceps, figures to help — though even he couldn’t stem the tide in similar recent losses to the Clippers and Nuggets. But the Bulls face a huge challenge in getting over this hump. They’re tied with the Pistons for the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference but are only a half- game ahead of the streaking Heat ( 31- 34) and Bucks ( 30- 33) and in danger of falling out of playoff position.
Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 21 points, but even he was caught in the undertow of the malaise. Butler was 0- for- 5 from the field and had no points, assists, rebounds or steals in the fourth quarter.
“It’s not mental,” Butler said of the team’s fourth- quarter struggles. “A lot of it is on myself. I had the ball — either score a basket or put somebody in position to score the basket. Don’t turn the ball over. There’s not too much my team- mates can do about that. They set amazing screens, get to where they’re supposed to be on the floor. It’s my job to make something happen.”
Butler often has stepped up in Wade’s absence but hasn’t been quite the force he has been recently and put the blame on himself for the recent late failures.
“I mean, the ball’s in my hand late,” he said. “I’ve got to start making shots, finishing — all that stuff that I’m supposed to do. I’ve got to be better. I will be better. There’s nothing else to say about it.”
Now it’s up to the Bulls to find a way to snap out of it. Wade can’t come back soon enough, but this team likely will need more than that.
“Mental toughness, got to find a way,” said guard Rajon Rondo, who had eight points and six assists off the bench. “Got to come in with the right mindset. We can’t pick and choose when we want to turn it on and off. We’ve just got to have a better mental focus.”