Trail Blazers Vs Bulls: Portland Holds On, Hands Chicago an 11th Straight Loss
The trail blazers vs bulls matchup in Chicago ended with Portland prevailing 121-112 on Thursday night, a result that extended Chicago’s skid to 11 straight losses and deepened the franchise’s worst month on record. The outcome carries immediate competitive impact and a longer-term draft implication because the Bulls own Portland’s lottery-protected first-round pick only if the Trail Blazers reach the playoffs.
Jerami Grant, Robert Williams III and Vit Krejci Fuel Portland
Jerami Grant led Portland with 27 points, while Robert Williams III finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds and Vit Krejci added 14. Toumani Camara contributed 16 points and helped close out the game with late free throws. The Blazers managed the game without All-Star Deni Avdija, out with back trouble for a second straight game, and still pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Portland’s decisive push began with a 15-point advantage at 105-90 after two Blake Wesley free throws with 9: 02 remaining. Chicago responded with a seven-point run, but Camara’s free throws made it 107-97 with 5: 16 left. A cutting dunk by Leonard Miller trimmed the margin to 108-105, and Grant answered with a 3-pointer that opened a 13-7 closing run; free throws by Camara, Jrue Holiday and Grant sealed the 121-112 final.
Billy Donovan Confronts Roster Upheaval and Tough Turnovers
Chicago coach Billy Donovan, who is from Rockville Centre, New York, has been managing a roster altered heavily at the trade deadline. Donovan said the conversations after the deadline emphasized getting the current group to play their best despite seven new players, and that ownership has not directed him to rest veterans or otherwise alter lineups for draft positioning. The Bulls’ high-turnover night — 20 turnovers in this game — and other roster adjustments contributed directly to the defeat.
The loss dropped the Bulls to 24-36 and completed a winless February at 0-11, the worst month in franchise history. Forward Isaac Okoro said the team is not making excuses and must focus on the small details to reverse the slide.
Lottery-Protected Pick and Front Office Calculus
Executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley have a clear stake in Portland’s fortunes: the Bulls hold Portland’s first-round pick on a lottery-protected basis, but only if the Blazers make the playoffs; otherwise that pick carries over for another year through 2028. That structure creates a direct link between Portland’s late-season wins and Chicago’s long-term asset picture, and it appears to inform some of the organizational tension described around roster decisions.
On one hand the front office has been reshaping the roster, which some players and staff interpret as making it harder for Donovan to field a consistent lineup. On the other hand, Donovan has continued to put his best available players on the floor, saying ownership told him to do just that rather than manage minutes for draft positioning.
Game Details, Role Players and Broadcasting Notes
The matchup featured 17 lead changes and 13 ties, reflecting how back-and-forth it was before Portland’s fourth-quarter separation. For Chicago, Matas Buzelis led with 20 points on 6-for-16 shooting; Tre Jones scored 19; Josh Giddey added 15 points and nine assists; and Nick Richards collected 14 points and 10 rebounds. Leonard Miller’s late dunk cut the deficit to three with 3: 37 remaining, but the Bulls were outscored 13-7 to close the game.
Portland’s role players made notable contributions: Krejci played 19 minutes and went 5-for-10 from the field, including 3-for-8 from three, and added three rebounds and two assists; Robert Williams III logged 23 minutes with 14 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks; Matisse Thybulle played 12 minutes and finished with five points, three rebounds, one steal and two blocks. When Williams sat, smaller lineups created different matchups that disrupted Chicago’s plans.
One sideline note: broadcasters on the telecast spent extended time speculating about how much sleep analyst Lamar Hurd had gotten, a distraction that drew laughter and some viewer frustration.
What This Means Next
Chicago’s losing streak now stands as the third-longest in franchise history, a stretch that began after the Bulls’ last win on Jan. 31 against Miami. The Bulls are 0-5 on a seven-game homestand. Portland will travel to Charlotte on Saturday for its next game, an early start listed at 10: 00 a. m. Pacific.
What makes this notable is the collision of short-term competition and longer-term roster strategy: Portland’s win preserves its play-in positioning and, by extension, affects whether Chicago keeps a first-round pick that is tied to Portland’s postseason fate. The front-office moves that reshaped the Bulls’ roster are a clear causal factor in both the immediate on-court struggles and the broader draft calculus facing the organization.
