The last thing the Bulls and coach Billy Donovan needed on their schedule at the end of this month was another game, but that’s what the NBA gave them.
The league announced Monday that the Bulls’ game against the Heat that was postponed Thursday because of condensation on the court will be played Jan. 29 at the United Center.
The news means the Bulls now will face a stretch featuring the Derrick Rose jersey-retirement game Jan. 24 against the Celtics, a game Jan. 26 against the Lakers, a game Jan. 28 at the Pacers, then three games in four nights against the Heat (Jan. 29 at home and Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in Miami).
The first game in Miami originally had been scheduled for Jan. 30, but the NBA moved that game to prevent the Bulls from playing on three consecutive nights. The Bulls still will have to play four games in five nights, however.
The rescheduling also means the Bulls will go into the trade deadline Feb. 5 playing nine games in 15 days. If they make a move in the days leading up to the deadline, they might have fewer bodies available while players move to Chicago and get acclimated.
The Bulls went through that when they traded guard Zach LaViine in a three-team deal before the deadline last February, with guards Kevin Huerter and Tre Jones and center Zach Collins joining the team. But because executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas was trying to make another deal and was considering using one or more of the new players in a possible package, the trio couldn’t practice or really get up to speed on Donovan’s system.
Things were in limbo, and the short-handed went 1-6 during that transition period.
That would be fine for an organization more concerned about its lottery odds for a loaded draft class than about its place in the standings, but the Bulls (18-20) aren’t that organization. Donovan is focused on continuing to build a more physical identity on defense while also establishing habits the players can embrace no matter what changes might come to the roster.
‘‘[Winning] is what we are here to do, but there are also times you walk off the court and say, ‘How do you want to lose?’ Because you are not going to win every game,’’ Donovan said recently. ‘‘What does losing look like? I want it to look like a hard-nosed, competitive team that is laying it on the line and getting after it every single minute. And if the results happen and are not what we want, we can maybe start to correct the mistakes and areas we need to get better.’’
The Bulls had lost three consecutive games before their victory Saturday against the Mavericks, and they’re 25th in the league in defensive rating entering their game Tuesday at the Rockets — in the same neighborhood as struggling teams such as the Clippers, Kings and Pelicans.
One thing the crowded schedule offers is a lot of games to try to improve in the next few weeks.
‘‘There are things we can do,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘I’m not saying that is enough and that we are going to win games doing those things, but I am saying that at least puts you in the conversation of being competitive. I am trying to have these guys in position where they are collectively competing.’’
