The Chicago Bulls closed the month of March with a 124-101 loss to the Toronto Raptors. That put a bow on a 4-11 month. While months like this are par for the course in this 21-56 season, it comes on the heels of a 5-5 February.

The Bulls even started March 2-2, kicking it off with a 168-161 quadruple-overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks. However, they have gone 2-9 after the modest start, and are currently on a four-game losing streak. So what went wrong? How did things fall apart after an encouraging February? What does it mean for the final five games of the season?

What made February so different from the rest of the season was the sudden injection of offense thanks to the Otto Porter Jr. trade. The Bulls came away with a 116.2 offensive rating, the highest in franchise history since at least 1996. That high-level offense was the only way to keep pace with their awful 116.3 defensive rating.

In March, that defensive rating held form, but the bottom fell back out on the offense. Chicago had a 107.1 offensive rating on the month, leading to a -9.2 net rating.

Injuries are the main culprit for the offensive regression. Over the course of the month, the Bulls continued to lose firepower. Now, the highest scorer that is still healthy and has played multiple games — Robin Lopez — is averaging 9.1 points per game.

Porter was the first to go down. He missed the March 18 game at the Phoenix Suns with a right rotator cuff strain, and has not played since. The front office hasn’t officially shut him down for the season, but his recovery is trending in that direction. Otto was averaging 16.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on the month.

Zach LaVine was next. He missed the March 20 game against the Washington Wizards with a right thigh contusion. Zach already missed two games earlier in the month with a right patellar tendon strain. Now, he has missed the last five.

LaVine put up some big numbers in March, averaging 26.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. His best nights include dropping a career-high 47 points in the March 1 thriller in Atlanta, 39 points and the game-winning layup on March 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers, and 31 points on March 15 at the Los Angeles Clippers.

Then, the March 26 game against the Raptors sidelined two key players. The team ruled out Kris Dunn ahead of the game due to back issues. Meanwhile, Lauri Markkanen started the game, scoring 10 points and nine rebounds in the first half.

However, he didn’t return from the locker room for the second half due to an episode of accelerated heart rate and fatigue. Neither have played since, with Markkanen officially being shut down for the season. It wouldn’t be surprising if Dunn and LaVine followed suit.

These developments likely please the crowd that want the Bulls to lose as many games as possible. Their March 30 loss helped the team secure at least the fourth-worst record in the league. They are also in position to leapfrog the Cleveland Cavaliers for third-worst record and a slim chance to overtake the Suns for second-worst.

Roster-wise, it will be a little harder to discern things about the future. Cristiano Felicio and Antonio Blakeney are the only two healthy players with guaranteed contracts for next season. Everyone else is playing for jobs in Chicago or elsewhere next season.

On the bright side, this has opened up opportunities for the Bulls’ G Leaguers. They recalled two-way players Brandon Sampson and Rawle Alkins. With the Windy City Bulls’ season over, they can play without it counting against the 45-day limit.

Chicago also called up Walt Lemon Jr. and JaKarr Sampson from the minors. Lemon had 19 points, six assists, and four steals in his debut with the team on Saturday. All of those numbers were team highs. With so many injuries, the hardship exception allowed the Bulls to sign Sampson to a 10-day contract on Sunday.

As we enter April, just five games against three teams remain in the tumultuous 2018-19 season. We saw a glimmer of better days ahead in February and the beginning of March. However, the injury bug has bit down hard, sidelining all five of their projected starters and a couple of key rotation pieces. All that’s left for the Chicago Bulls to do is play out the string and regroup in the offseason.