One night after beating the Detroit Pistons by 46, the Chicago Bulls (27-12) lost to the Brooklyn Nets (26-14) 138-112 at the United Center on Jan. 12.
The Nets have several superstars on the team, including Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. According to Sports Illustrated, Irving (who's unvaccinated against COVID-19) is only eligible to play in road games due to the New York City vaccine mandate preventing him from playing in home games at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Non-resident professional athletes are exempt from Chicago's vaccine mandate for entertainment and recreation venues, NBC Chicago noted.
The Bulls finished the season series 2-1 against the Nets. But against the top six teams in the Eastern Conference—and with no games against the Bucks yet—the Bulls are 2-6.
"Getting your butt kicked on national television is not a fun thing after playing a pretty solid first half," said Zach LaVine, who led the Bulls with 22 points, in a statement. "It brings you back down to earth."
The Bulls' brutal stretch continues Friday, Jan. 14, at home against the Golden State Warriors; and Saturday, Jan. 15, at the Boston Celtics.
