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.