The Bulls went on a shortened West Coast swing this week, a modern echo of the old “Circus Trip,” when Ringling Bros. took over the United Center every fall. This year’s version wasn’t as long, but it was every bit as chaotic. Chicago stopped in Utah, then Denver on the second night of a back-to-back, and closed out the trip in Portland. They finished 2–1, which sounds stable on paper. But if you saw the schedule beforehand, you never would’ve predicted how those first two games unfolded.

They opened with a double-overtime loss to the Jazz, even with Coby White making his return. Then, less than 24 hours later and without White, the Bulls walked into Denver as 14-point underdogs and shocked Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets in one of the strangest, grittiest wins of the season. A couple nights later, Nikola Vučević capped the trip with a buzzer-beating three to push Chicago to 8–6 as they headed home.

Today’s Hottest Take: The Bulls Can't Afford to be Complacent

There was a consistent thread running through all three games, Chicago held double-digit leads in the second half each time. Yet there was another theme, and it’s far more concerning: they repeatedly allowed the opponents’ best players to completely take over in the fourth quarter.

Lauri Markkanen– 12 of his 47 in crunch time. Jamal Murray: 19 of his 34 in the fourth. Deni Avdija:15 of his 32 in the fourth.

For a team trying to prove it’s more than a play-in hopeful, this is a dangerous pattern. Good teams close games. They control tempo, execute cleanly and don’t let stars drag them back into coin-flip endings. The Bulls escaped in Denver thanks to their bench. They survived in Portland thanks only to Vučević’s heroics. Without that shot, they’d be sitting at 7–7 with the same old questions piling up again.

What You Need to Know: The Bulls Can Learn From This

In today’s instant-gratification world, it’s easy to forget that winning championships takes time. The Thunder didn’t magically appear as last year’s NBA champs. Their rise took six years of pain, patience, smart drafting and careful roster construction.

No one is saying the Bulls are title-bound this season. But learning how to win close games is part of a longer process teams have to go through before they become contenders. Look at the last several NBA champions, each of them spent years taking punches before breaking through.

What’s encouraging is that this Bulls group has something that can’t be faked: genuine chemistry. They’ve shown improved composure late in games, and even in the loss to Utah (one they shouldn’t accept if they want to be taken seriously) they bounced back with a statement win over a three-time MVP. And despite blowing momentum multiple times in Portland, they still found a way to get the last word.

This team may not be there yet. But there are signs they’re learning.

Before You Go: The Bulls Have a Chance to Build Real Momentum

The upcoming schedule gives Chicago a real runway to solidify their spot in the Eastern Conference picture. They face the Washington Wizards — still in the toddler phase of their rebuild — then the Pelicans, Pacers and Hornets. These are the kinds of matchups good teams take advantage of. Nothing is guaranteed in the NBA, but these next few games provide a perfect opportunity to stack wins and push their record above .500 for good.

If the Bulls want to prove they’re more than inconsistent, more than confusing, more than simply “better than expected,” this is their moment.

Good teams rack up wins in stretches like this.

If the Bulls are one of them—they’ll show it now.