The Portland Trail Blazers and Chicago Bulls faced each other on Friday night in a game that had implications for both teams in the 2025 NBA Lottery. The Bulls and Blazers are among four teams shuffling through the 8th-11th positions in May’s drawing order. Portland had 43 losses heading into the evening, Chicago 42. The team that lost would strike a blow for ping-pong ball dominance, critical for two franchises that belong in the playoffs about as much as Chuck McGill belongs in a Best Buy.
As it turned out, the Blazers won the battle of odds, losing to the Bulls 118-113.