Mirotic’s return sparks Bulls to six-game win streak

Nikola Mirotic has turned into a matchup nightmare. Kris Dunn looks like one of the NBA’s most promising young point guards, and Bobby Portis and David Nwaba have provided a spark off the bench.

For a team that was supposed to be tanking this year, the Chicago Bulls look awfully competitive all of a sudden.

Led by Mirotic and Dunn, Chicago beat Philadelphia, 117-115, on Monday night for its sixth consecutive victory on the heels of a 10-game slide — a turnaround unlike any other in NBA history. The Bulls are perfect since Mirotic returned Dec. 8 after missing the start of the season with facial fractures following a fight with Portis.

“I think the biggest thing is, the reason why we are winning, is because we are having fun with it,” Dunn said. “When you are having fun, when you are winning, things (are) a lot smoother.”

This was not exactly the plan for Chicago after it went 41-41 last season and lost to Boston in the first round of the playoffs. All-Star Jimmy Butler was traded to Minnesota in June and Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo and Taj Gibson departed for greener pastures as Chicago embarked on a potentially painful rebuilding process.

Then Mirotic and Portis got into an altercation during practice on Oct. 17, and the Bulls became the laughingstock of the league. Portis was suspended for eight games and Mirotic needed weeks to recover from his injuries.

For a while, no one was quite sure whether Mirotic and Portis would be able to play together again. But they figured it out over time, validating Chicago’s patient approach to the situation.

“I was very, very excited to start the season,” Mirotic said. “Putting in all the work and gaining 20 pounds of (muscle) on my body, but sometimes things just happen (for) a reason. You never know why is the reason. Even maybe could be looking very bad in the beginning, but at the end of the day, now, I’m not saying it’s good, but just trying to be positive out there, making my life simple in the game.”

The 26-year-old Mirotic, who re-signed with Chicago in September on a two-year contract that could pay as much as $27 million, was maddeningly inconsistent during his first three years in the league. But he has been an absolute terror since coming back from the preseason fight, averaging 20.3 points and 7.3 rebounds during the streak.