The Bulls ended the first half of their season Tuesday night with a performance that alternated between the confounding and astounding.
The 104-100 loss to Portland in front of a United Center crowd of 21,467 marked the Bulls’ ninth straight defeat, tying a season worst.
The suddenly typical defensive struggles, including double-teaming that left reserve guard Greg Anthony open for back-breaking three-pointers, confounded. Portland, playing without Scottie Pippen and Arvydas Sabonis, became the Bulls’ third straight opponent to top the century mark.
Yet the spirit in rallying to forge a late, fourth-quarter tie–especially given the constant losing–astounded. An 8-0 run pulled the Bulls even at 89-89 with 4 minutes 32 seconds left, before Portland scored the next six points, the final three on an Anthony three-pointer.
That seemed fitting. The Bulls, double-teaming Rasheed Wallace and Dale Davis at every opportunity and denying Steve Smith on the perimeter, dared Anthony to beat them. And, with five three-pointers and 20 points to lead six Blazers in double figures, he did.
“We were a little slow getting out of the double teams,” coach Tim Floyd said.
The lead grew to 16 before the Bulls, led by Ron Mercer’s career-high 39 points and 29 from Elton Brand, rallied. They forced a season-high 23 turnovers. They had 37 assists.
But all that mattered was another loss.
“I knew this was going to be difficult, and it is difficult,” said Mercer, who played all 48 minutes. “But we’re a lot better than our record [6-35] shows.”
Anyone hoping for repeat ineptitude from Portland, which scored a franchise-low 58 Monday, needed only to stick around for the first possession of the second half. That’s when Damon Stoudamire sank a jumper to give the Blazers 59 points.
