The whole point of the 2017-18 Chicago Bulls season was to lose, and lose, and lose, in order to get a great Lottery pick in the 2018 Draft. The rebuild was set in motion by trading Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves last June, with point guard Kris Dunn, wing Zach LaVine and first-round pick Lauri Markkanen getting big minutes and absorbing all the Ls that young teams get. Things were exacerbated when Bobby Portis punched teammate Nikola Mirotic in the face during a practice altercation two days before the start of the season; Mirotic suffered facial fractures and a concussion, and missed Chicago’s first 23 games recovering.

Portis was suspended for eight games without pay. When Mirotic returned Dec. 8, the Bulls were 3-20, having lost games by 49 at Golden State, 39 at San Antonio and 30 at Utah. The plan, though painful, was well on its way to fruition.

But then, strange things started happening. Mirotic returned and played the best basketball of his career coming off the bench (even though he and Portis, understandably, are still on the outs). Unheralded, undrafted David Nwaba, the former Los Angeles Lakers guard who was a waiver claim in July, came back after missing 12 games and started providing outstanding two-way play. The Bulls began playing with the pace that Fred Hoiberg has desperately sought since becoming the team’s coach. And Chicago, improbably, started winning.

How have Bobby Portis and Nikola Mirotic put their beef to rest?

The Bulls beat Charlotte Dec. 8 and New York the next night, then blew out Boston by 23 and avenged the loss to the Jazz. They won at Milwaukee and beat then-hot Philadelphia, then throttled the Magic Dec. 20. In 12 days, they’d won seven games in row. They’ve cooled off a little since then, but they’re still playing very good basketball -- and jeopardizing their chances at a high pick, at least until they move Mirotic (they can’t trade him until Jan. 15) and veteran center Robin Lopez, who’s been very good in the middle.

Against the Sixers, Kris Dunn nailed a critical 3-pointer late in the game.

And Dunn, the 23-year-old who’d flamed out in one desultory season of horrific shooting for Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota before being dealt, found his footing, both as a scorer and a floor general. He’d been too good in college -- a second-team All-American his senior season at Providence, where he worked and trained with God Shammgod. The former NBA player and fellow Friar -- legendary for the crossover dribble that bears his name -- was back at his alma mater as a grad assistant. Dunn’s offensive rating leaped from 97.1 in November to 100.9 in December; his assists rose from 4.3 to 7.8.

He made a huge 3-pointer down the stretch to tie the game with Philly, and two more buckets to salt the game away. He broke down the Bucks for six points late and made two free throws with seven seconds left Friday to help beat New York. “The biggest thing I’ve seen out of Kris is just his overall consistency at both,” Hoiberg said Sunday. “He showed flashes early of really being in a stance, and then he’d take plays off. But now, he’s out there with a great focus and mentality. And the most impressive thing about Kris is just how he’s learned to help finish games. It’s not easy at this level.”

Kris Dunn keyed the Bulls' win against the Knicks last week.

Shooting 3-pointers is still a work in progress for Dunn, but he’s better than he was last season. And the Bulls are better than anyone thought they’d be -- and, frankly, than most of their fans want them to be.

Me: How much of your improvement in the last few weeks is getting more comfortable with the speed of the game, and how much is guys like Mirotic and Portis getting back on the floor who can help you finish?

Kris Dunn: I think Fred (Hoiberg) also helped me. He liked to play with a fast pace, get in the lane, be aggressive at the rim. We’ve got a lot of shooters spread out when we can spread out. His offense helps. And when you’ve got shooters around you, it’s easier to get in the lane, especially when they’re making shots. Everything opens up. I think we all watch a lot of film, and we’re all starting to get used to each other. The chemistry’s building. I think everybody knows their role on the team, so I think that helped us.

Me: Was there any game in particular where it started clicking for you?

KD: I can’t really remember a game. But each and every game, I feel like I’m improving, getting more comfortable, getting better. There’s going to be bad games. There’s 82 games; you can’t be perfect all the time. But I’m starting to learn, in order to be an elite player, you’ve got to build consistent games. That’s what I’m trying to work on.