INDIANAPOLIS _ This road trip should serve as a measuring stick for the Bulls, a chance with just over a week to go before the trade deadline to gauge whether this season can still be salvaged. Even though recent injuries to Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr. and Daniel Gafford have wrecked their frontcourt, the Bulls arrived in Indiana winners of four of their last six games with a chance to pull within striking distance of he final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
They had a chance Wednesday to tip off the trip with one of their most impressive wins of the season. Instead, Pacers guard Victor Oladipo knocked down a tying 3-pointer with 9 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and the Pacers pulled away for a 115-106 overtime win.
Oladipo, playing in his first game in more than a year after he ruptured a tendon in his quadriceps, scored nine points, but had the confidence to take and make the game's biggest shot. Bulls guard Zach LaVine appeared to be fouled on his final shot attempt in the fourth quarter, but he didn't get the call. He finished with 20 points and a season-high nine assists, while Chandler Hutchison added a season-high 21 points for the Bulls.
"It's a big step for us," coach Jim Boylen said before the game. "(Wednesday) is a step for where we've been and where we'd like to go... this is a meaningful game. This is a meaningful game in January, and see how we respond to that."
The Bulls dropped to 1-19 against teams over .500 this season.
Still, this was a slight improvement compared to the last time the Bulls found themselves within striking distance of a playoff spot. Boylen pointed to a game at the end of December against the Magic, the last time the Bulls had played their way back into playoff contention, with a chance to make up ground against a team directly in front of them.
Instead, the Bulls lost that game 103-95 and proceeded to drop seven of their next eight games.
"It's a learned process," Boylen said. "It's just like winning games, winning close games, learn how to win in the fourth quarter, learn how to prepare yourself to play against a team that maybe you're supposed to beat. And learn how to prepare yourself playing against a team maybe you're not supposed to beat. It's all a part of this process."
