Bulls defensive issues still linger, but the focus remains fixing them

Considering how easily the Bulls scored the basketball in Sunday’s 130-116 win over Portland, it was easy to cover up the defensive miscues for the Bulls. The players, however, remain focused on trying to work on that side of the floor.

The Bulls at least deserve some credit for their short-term ingenuity.

They may not have found a permanent solution for their on-going defensive woes, but at least on Sunday they were able to locate a few shovels, toss some snow in that direction, and cover it up for the day.

That’s what a good shooting afternoon for the home roster, combined with a horrific defensive team like Portland, resulted in, as the Bulls (31-18) got back to their winning ways, beating the Trail Blazers at the United Center 130-116.

“We’re just gonna have to be in situations where we’re going to have to provide more help for one another, and I think you want to rotate the least amount possible, and as much as is necessary,’’ coach Billy Donovan said of the strides that still need to be done on the defensive end moving forward. “We’ve gotta do a better job helping behind pick-and-roll, we’ve got to do a better job helping on the ball, we’ve gotta do a better job shifting to prevent penetration. There’s just a lot of things I think we’ve got to do better, and I think it starts with your physicality, where you are and how you’re playing from the three-point line and in.’’

There were moments where that physicality showed itself against Portland, but there was still a lot of the same old, same old, especially in the first quarter when closeouts were the issue.

After allowing a below average three-point shooting team like the Spurs to get comfortable from long range in Friday’s loss, the Trail Blazers (21-29) were offered that same luxury right from the tip. Portland built a 35-29 first quarter lead, shooting 66.7% from the field and hitting 7-for-11 (63.6%) from three.

Not exactly the response Donovan was looking for.

“I think in the first quarter we had the right intentions, but the thing we did a really poor job of was our closeouts,’’ Donovan said. “We’re stopping under the three-point line like we’re worried about getting driven, and then when they rise up to shoot and you’re going out there contesting it’s too late.

“We got better as the game went on. I get it, it’s hard to take away the three and contain the ball, but where you get caught is in no man’s land.’’

That started to change into the second quarter, and the second half.

Not only did the Bulls get back to that disruptive style of defense that was displayed on most nights when Alex Caruso (wrist surgery) and Lonzo Ball (knee surgery) were healthy and in the lineup, but there was actually some pride shown in getting back to a more physical brand of basketball.

The Bulls nabbed seven points off four turnovers in that second quarter, and more impressively held Portland to 47.8% shooting from the field.

Getting 18 points off the bench, as well as shooting 63% in that second helped, but either way, the Bulls went into the halftime locker room looking like a team that was grasping what was being asked of them on that defensive end.

And it’s not just being asked of them by the coaching staff.

“We just stay locked in,’’ guard Coby White said of the adjustment. “The coaches continue to be on us on that end of the floor, and as a team we want to get to another level on the defensive end, so we kind of stay locked in with the guys we have. Zach [LaVine], DeMar [DeRozan], Vooch [Nikola Vucevic], we know we can score, but those are the guys that are mainly preaching that we’ve got to get it done on the defensive end. Those guys are all in, so we never lose sight of it.’’

Vucevic finished with a team-high 24, while DeRozan added 23.

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