Do the figurative math.
The Bulls played on the road Wednesday night. They did so after playing an overtime game in Chicago the previous night.
That meant they arrived in this city at 3:30 a.m., while the Philadelphia 76ers rested, peacefully dreaming of a 19-5 record over their previous 24 games.
Add it all up and you have a 108-101 Bulls loss at the First Union Center, their ninth straight defeat on the road.
Here’s some actual math: The Bulls are 3-36 away from the United Center. With two remaining road games against Detroit and Minnesota, a 3-38 road mark is possible, if not likely.
That mark would be a franchise record for futility and also tie eight other teams for the third-worst road record in 35 seasons of an 82-game schedule.
Also, only the 1990-91 Sacramento Kings, who went 1-40 on the road and 24-17 at home, will have a larger discrepancy between home and road records in 82-game schedule history.
But those are numbers. Here’s the numbness.
“If you score 30 points and lose, what’s the point?” said Jay Williams, who came close with a team-high 23. “You still lose.”
After a messy first quarter in which they committed nine turnovers and trailed by 11, Williams led a reserve rally that gave the Bulls a 53-49 halftime lead. Williams, who only played 10 of 53 minutes Tuesday night, had nine points and five assists in the second quarter.
The Bulls’ lead swelled to eight in the third quarter before the 76ers, paced by Allen Iverson’s 24 points and season-high 12 assists, ripped off a 19-3 run.
The Bulls hung around to trail 94-89 on Jalen Rose’s three-pointer with 2 minutes 49 seconds remaining.
But Eric Snow slipped free of Williams to take a pass from Iverson, scored and was fouled by Williams. His free throw completed the three-point play. Iverson then picked off Donyell Marshall’s pass and Kenny Thomas scored at the other end to seal the deal with 2:15 left.
Williams played 32 minutes, had eight assists and reached 20 points for the first time since Feb. 21, a span of 20 games.
Starter Jamal Crawford, coming off a career-high, 25-point game, battled foul trouble and finished with seven points and four turnovers in 16 minutes. He didn’t play during the final 17:27.
“If Jay’s playing well, he should stay out there,” Crawford said. “But, of course, I’d like to be out there.”
Similarly, Rose would like the ball. But he took a season-low 10 shots for his 15 points.
“At this point of the season, there’s going to be positioning and posturing when you have a young team,” Rose said. “Guys are trying to do what they can to establish themselves in the league and in the minds of coaches and management. I’m just trying to go with the flow.”
The Bulls were without Tyson Chandler for a second straight game. Chandler, plagued by esophagitis, remained in Chicago–you know, where the Bulls have a chance to win games.
Road woes
The Bulls fell to 3-36 on the road with Wednesday’s loss in Philadelphia, their ninth consecutive road defeat. Earlier this season they lost 19 straight. With two road games remaining, the best the Bulls can do is five wins. Last season the Bulls went 7-34 on the road. Here are the worst road teams in NBA history:
WORST WINNING PERCENTAGE
Baltimore, 1953-54 0-20 (.000)
Sacramento, 1990-91 1-40 (.024)
Philadelphia, 1952-53 1-28 (.034)
MOST CONSECUTIVE LOSSES
Sacramento, 11-21-90 to 11-22-91 43
New Jersey, 12-23-89 to 11-21-90 34
Baltimore, 1-2-53 to 3-14-54 32
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