Chapter 29: The Waning Tide

The Bulls' head coach, Fred Hoiberg, had always been a figure of controversy. Many Bulls fans were dissatisfied with him, and for good reason. Before Hoiberg took over in Chicago, the team under Tom Thibodeau had managed to notch 50 wins and advance to the second round of the playoffs. Yet as soon as Hoiberg took the reins, with almost no significant roster changes, the Bulls managed only 42 wins and failed even to make the playoffs in the East.

Considering how easy it was to reach the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, especially with players like Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, and Pau Gasol on the roster, the fans’ frustration was understandable. Still, even if Hoiberg’s coaching left much to be desired, he had a grasp of the basic strategies of the game.

On the court, Rajon Rondo, the Bulls’ starting point guard and floor general, executed the game plan as meticulously as Coach Hoiberg had drawn it up. The rest of the Bulls showed no signs of being shaken by their losing streak.

Swish!

Taking advantage of an off-ball screen set by his teammate, Bulls star Jimmy Butler received a pinpoint pass from Rondo and calmly drained a mid-range jumper.

“So far this season, Jimmy’s been in excellent form. I’d say he’s easily a top-five forward in the East this year!”

As Butler opened the scoring, the commentator couldn’t help but lavish praise on him—and it was well deserved. During the Bulls’ three-game winning streak at the start of the season, Butler had been the leading scorer every night, and he was still posting impressive averages of 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists per game.

“That’s right. And from that play alone, you can tell that three straight losses haven’t rattled the Bulls. Their execution remains sharp.”

No sooner had the commentator finished than the momentum on the court shifted abruptly. Elfrid Payton, the Magic’s point guard, was slowly dribbling up the floor, scanning for his teammates, when suddenly Rondo poked the ball away. Wasting no time, Rondo launched a dazzling bounce pass from half court that found Dwyane Wade, streaking ahead of the defense.

Though Wade was no longer the lightning-quick force he had been in Miami, he found himself all alone and finished with an easy two-handed dunk.

“Dwyane Wa—de!”

The arena DJ’s enthusiastic announcement was met with a thunderous response. In the United Center, Bulls fans wearing Wade’s jersey leaped to their feet, chanting their idol’s name. Many others still wore his number three jersey from his Miami days—testament to Wade’s devoted following.

“That one’s on me,” Payton admitted, taking responsibility for the early-game turnover. He hadn’t expected Rondo’s hands to be so quick.

“It’s fine, no big deal,” Aaron Gordon said as he inbounded the ball, reassuring his teammate. “Let’s focus on our next possession. They can’t stop us.”

“Remember, we’re the team on a three-game win streak. They’re the ones who’ve lost three straight!”

Buoyed by his own confidence, Gordon called for the ball on the next play, determined to take on Butler one-on-one. But despite his notoriety from the dunk contest, Gordon’s overall game was still lacking. Against Butler’s relentless defense, his attempt fell short.

Rondo came down with the rebound. This time, he slowed the tempo, bringing the ball up court and surveying his teammates’ positions. When given the time to orchestrate, Rondo ensured the Bulls’ offense ran flawlessly.

Swish!

Once again, it was Wade, catching another precise pass from Rondo and knocking down a long two-pointer to push the score to 6-0.

Though the Magic managed to get on the board thanks to Nikola Vucevic overpowering Robin Lopez in the post, the team as a whole seemed too relaxed. In stark contrast, the Bulls played with energy and discipline at home. With Rondo’s near-perfect orchestration, they dominated both ends of the floor, completely stifling the visiting team.

Anyone watching just this segment of the game would have assumed it was the Bulls who were riding a three-game winning streak.

Sensing trouble, Magic head coach Frank Vogel quickly called a timeout to refocus his distracted players and made some adjustments to the lineup. Yet Wu Rui remained on the bench, not part of the substitution plan.

“Michael, did you think I’d put you in?” Vogel asked as play resumed, watching his players while approaching Wu Rui.

“No, coach. I think what the team needs right now is more firepower on offense,” Wu Rui replied with conviction. “Putting me in now would only make things worse.”

Though the admission stung, Wu Rui knew the team was struggling and had no confidence in his shooting. No matter how much it hurt, he had to be honest.

“Seems you still haven’t grasped what I told you before the game,” Vogel said, his tone displeased. With that, he strode to the sidelines and barked instructions at Serge Ibaka, who’d nearly committed a turnover.

The pregame talk? Wu Rui recalled Vogel’s words during warm-ups: “You’ll learn something from this game.” Yet as the match unfolded, Wu Rui remained at a loss, unable to glean any lesson or decipher Vogel’s intentions.

While Wu Rui sat there puzzled, the Magic’s troubles deepened. Vogel’s timely timeout had briefly stopped the bleeding with a quick basket, but the Bulls, sensing their opponent’s vulnerability, refused to let up.

With the Rondo-Wade-Butler trio leading the charge, the Bulls intensified their attack and brought postseason-level defense, making life miserable for the Magic.

By the end of the first quarter, the three-win Magic trailed the three-loss Bulls by thirteen points, 24 to 37, on the road.