clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Chicago Bulls endure first 3-game losing streak under Tom Thibodeau

For the first time during Tom Thibodeau's tenure as head coach of the Chicago Bulls, the team is suffering through a three-game losing streak.

By Steve von Horn
Steve Dykes-US PRESSWIRE

The Chicago Bulls are on a three-game losing streak. They've recently dropped games to the Clippers, Trail Blazers and Rockets. It's the NBA; these things happen. Except for the fact that during Tom Thibodeau's tenure as head coach, a three-game losing streak has never happened before.

It's crazy to think, but Thibs has somehow managed to keep his team playing hard enough on defense to avoid any extended skid -- until now.

The Bulls (5-6) dipped under .500 for the first time this season after their most recent loss to James Harden and the Rockets, and now Thibs and his squad are searching for answers as to what has gone wrong. Asked by reporters whether he was considering shakeups to the starting lineup, the Bulls' head coach simply replied, "[W]e'll see, I mean, right now, I'm looking at a lot of things."

Joakim Noah and Luol Deng did most of the talking after the game, and both veterans noted that the players have to do a better job of executing down the stretch (via CSN-Chicago):

"It's a lot of things we need to do. We've got to put a whole 48 minutes together. Just got to stay mentally strong. Got to get a win and get it rolling again. Just got to stick with it, stick with what we do. It's tough right now losing. You don't want to lose, but we've got to keep working and stick with it, and try to get a win," Deng said in the aftermath of the Bulls' 93-89 loss to the Rockets...

Added Noah: "We've got to do better. We've just got to do better. Losing three in a row is unacceptable. We're better than that."

The Bulls take on the upstart Milwaukee Bucks in a home-and-home series on Saturday and Monday, and then they host the Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers to wrap up a four-game homestand.

As noted by Aggrey Sam of CSN-Chicago, the last time Chicago was below .500 was after an opening-night loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder back in the 2010-11 season. Thibodeau holds a 159-117 regular season record as head coach of the Bulls, good for a .736 winning percentage.