Chicago Bulls defense has flown under the radar — but now it’s the star of the show as they chase the play-in tournament

The Chicago Bulls defense has flown under the radar since the start of the season.

It was easily obscured by the results. The Bulls kept coughing up losses and choking in close games, struggling to string together more than two wins. And regardless of accuracy, a team’s defensive reputation often can find itself defined more by gut feeling than hard statistics, especially as losses pile up.

Rare blowouts — particularly when they allowed 150 points in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in December — stood out sharper than grind-it-out games dominated by consistent rotations. The Bulls gained the reputation of hemorrhaging offensive boards despite being a top-five defensive rebounding team.

And the shadow of a sub-500 record dimmed any shine of the Bulls defensive rating, which is fifth-best this season and the best in the NBAsince the All-Star break.

“When things go wrong as far as wins and losses, people tend to look at offensive rating and the lack of 3s,” guard Alex Caruso said. “I don’t think our defense has been neglected as much as it probably is just overlooked because of all the other stuff that wasn’t working.”

A strong defense often obscures the effort required in its maintenance. But in recent weeks, the Bulls’ defensive effort has been tangible. Players bark constantly off the ball, scrambling in a dervish around high-profile players such as Joel Embiid and James Harden.

The source of this success is a visibly arduous game plan that flexes from team to team — and a higher attention to the details of that plan from individual players.

“That’s what’s helped us — making sure we have everything down,” guard Zach LaVine said. “There’s going to be mistakes, people are going to score on you, but if you stick to the game plan, you keep doing it as hard as you can, then you can figure out where you need to be. Everybody is just a lot more attentive. Everyone is focused in, we’re all locked in. We haven’t been as playful. It’s been a lot more serious.”

Between the improved availability of Caruso and the acquisition of guard Patrick Beverley, the defense has been bolstered by an increase in defensive specialists. But for the Bulls, the key to any game are their three stars — LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević — who aren’t known for their defensive prowess.

The trio never will create a defensive powerhouse, but their improved energy on and off the ball has helped to lift the Bulls since the All-Star break. LaVine’s rigor around the perimeter has been particularly noticeable as he hunts down guard matchups and jumps over screens to keep himself out of switches.

“Everybody understands the aggressiveness that we have to play with,” LaVine said. “We’re going out there and playing extremely competitive. We might not make every shot or make every play or make every defensive rotation, but if the three best players are out there competing as hard as they can, it brings up the level.”

Caruso was cleared to play Wednesday after missing the first leg of the Philadelphia series with a sprained left foot but was pulled shortly before the game after experiencing discomfort during warmups.

The decision was made “out of an abundance of caution,” according to the Bulls, who expect the guard to be available in Portland and Los Angeles this weekend.