CHICAGO -- After beating the hapless Atlanta Hawks, 116-81 at the United Center on Saturday night (Sunday morning RP time), the Chicago Bulls improved to a 13-20 record and climb up to ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
Disposing the worst the 6-27 Hawks, the worst team in the NBA coming in, was the easy part, And the Bulls did they were supposed to do against a struggling squad that didn't have its best player, Trae Young.
Following an uneven start, the Bulls have somehow crept to just 1.5 games behind the Orlando Magic for the eighth playoffs spot in a relatively weak East.
But the road only gets tougher.
The upcoming four games will be a stern test for an inconsistent Chicago team that nearly imploded in the strain of internal issues concerning its players seeking more touches (Lauri Markkanen) and more minutes (Otto Porter Jr.) under head coach Jim Boylen.
The treacherous grind begins four Monday night at home against the Milwaukee Bucks. Two days later the Bulls host the surging Utah Jazz at the United Center. The Celtics then visit the Windy City on January 4 before flying to Dallas to play Western Conference powerhouse the Mavericks.
This four-pack won't define their season but it will gauge the strength of their playoffs chances..
But coach Boylen feels good about the looming test.
"We talk about individual development of each guy, what we hope they can improve and grow with. I'm really proud of our guys. I think they're growing. I think they're understanding how important every possession is."
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