This was a game that never seemed to end. It seemed neither team wanted to win it, so the Bulls and Pistons kept playing.

Until, the 4th OT session, when the Pistons took a seven point lead and hung on for the win. Chicago ended its four game win streak with a perplexing OT loss. The bottom line is Chicago can’t beat Detroit. And, if they can’t beat Detroit, they aren’t going very far this year.

Detroit is not a bad team. They play hard and feature Andre Drummond, one of the most underrated big men in the game. What did he do in this game?  He scored 33 ponts and had 21 rebounds. Monster numbers. At times it looked like it was Drummond vs. the Bulls out there. Reggie Jackson did step up and scored 31 points and dished out 13 assists. But Chicago played an uneven game, despite Jimmy Butler’s 43 points, a career high. Derrick Rose, found his touch and scored 34 points, a season high for him. Pau Gasol scored 30 and grabbed 15 rebounds in the game. The Bulls only shot 42% and 28% from long-distance.

If a team doesn’t shoot well, eventually, it’s going to come back and bite them and that is what happened in this overtime marathon.  At the end of the third OT, Pau Gasol took a shot from the corner which at first seemed as if it was going in to end the game, but he missed it.  He was later seen shaking his head. When you play that long and don’t have the lead, that’s what you do.

“You fight hard, you put everything you have on the court and to lose like this in 4 Ot’s on your home court–it’s a heartbreaker. It happens.”

Players made shots and missed shots. One Piston hit a trey to extend the game to a third OT.  The Bulls were trailing in regulation with just seconds to play but managed to tie the game.

The issue is why did the Bulls have a hard time putting the Pistons away? I believe they lacked intensity seen in past performances. When the Bulls want to win a game, they do. When they play with a little less energy, and the attitude of “We’ll, win this game.” It usually doesn’t happen.  The Bulls have talent, but need consistent effort.

Look at Andre Drummond, he almost beat the Bulls by himself. He was a force in the low post. He played great and gave himself and his team an opportunity to stay in the game, and eventually win it.

With little time for rest, the Bulls hit the road and take on the New York Knicks on Saturday night.