The Chicago Bulls faced off against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night at the United Center to begin a stretch of five straight home games, trying to put themselves in good position for a playoff run.

They’ll have one more road game — April 10 at the Minnesota Timberwolves — before a much-anticipated return to the postseason for the first time since 2017.

Building some momentum is paramount for a team that has saved its worst for last. After going 39-21 and battling through some difficult injuries, the Bulls regressed significantly, losing 11 of 16 games and slowly sinking in the Eastern Conference standings.

Hopes of finishing as the third or fourth seed in the East and earning home-court advantage for at least the first round appear remote. But hanging on to the No. 5 spot over the Toronto Raptors should be attainable with a strong finish.

No matter their opponent in the first round — the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers — the Bulls will enter the playoffs as huge underdogs, thanks to their post All-Star break slide and a combined 1-11 record against those four teams.

Alex Caruso said the goal is to “find the best version of us” down the stretch.

“When we play at that version, we’re a really good team,” he said.

The problem is the Bulls haven’t played at that level for several weeks, even since the recent returns of Caruso and forward Patrick Williams. The loss of Lonzo Ball to a meniscus tear in his left knee has been one of the biggest reasons for the Bulls’ woes, and there’s no certainty he will be back for the postseason.

On March 21, the Bulls announced a 10-day pause on Ball’s running program to give him more time to heal from arthroscopic surgery done in January. Before Thursday’s game against the Clippers, coach Billy Donovan said Ball would be “ramping up” again but added it would be a gradual process to see how he responds.

Ball has recovered well since the surgery, Donovan said, but getting back to game speed is another matter.

“Sprinting is where he’s had some discomfort,” Donovan said. “Pulling him back, he does feel fine. It’s just when he gets to doing anything full speed. … And we’ll see if this (pause) has helped.”

The Bulls’ postseason hopes don’t hinge on Ball’s return. Caruso can run the show, and rookie Ayo Dosunmu continues to develop into a dependable player. But there’s no doubt the Bulls would receive a big emotional lift if Ball somehow were able to make it back for the playoffs.

“That’s our starting point guard, so if you get that back to any team, it’s going to be a good addition,” Caruso said Thursday. “I don’t know what his timetable is or what the plan is for him. … But he looks like he’s in good spirits. He’s been working.

“So cross our fingers and see what happens when that day comes.”

Crossing fingers might not be enough. With only 10 days left in the regular season, is there enough time?

Donovan said doctors have given no indication Ball can’t do it.

“He really wants to play,” Donovan said. “But he’s also going to be smart in terms of how he’s feeling, and he’s going to be realistic and the doctors will put their heads together. But certainly every day that goes by, and time that passes by, you’re moving closer and closer to the end of the season.”

And if Ball can’t make it back in those 10 days, could he still make his return in the postseason?

Donovan couldn’t answer that question but said if Ball responds well to the ramp-up they’ll get a better idea from doctors.

As for now, the Bulls are grappling with a difficult final stretch that continues a Saturday game against the Heat, who have beaten them all three times in the season series, and includes back-to back games Tuesday and Wednesday against the defending champion Bucks and Celtics.

It’s time to see what they’re made of.

“Any team that’s planning on playing in the postseason has to have a high sense of urgency this time of the year,” Caruso said. “It’s just about us going out there and trying to fine-tune some stuff, work on some defensive coverages and stuff we might try in the playoffs.

“But overall, it’s about sharpening us and making sure we’re ready to go.”

It has been a roller-coaster season for the Bulls, but after their failed rebuild and overall bad vibes from the Jim Boylen era, no one can say it hasn’t been fun to watch. If the Bulls do go on to lose in the first round, fans might debate whether the season was a success, which might be unfair but is the way the world works these days.

Once the Bulls proved they were back, everyone was excited about the possibility of a happy ending, which would include at least one playoff-series win.

But this team has never done anything the easy way, so why start now? With or without Ball, the Bulls can succeed in the playoffs if everyone pulls together behind DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine.

“The East, 1 through 6 (seed) right now, is pretty tight, even with Cleveland one game behind,” Caruso said. “I don’t really worry about matchups. Once the playoffs start, it’s zero-zero. I’ve seen teams lose 3-1 or 4-0 in a season series and then win in five or six games.

“Playoffs are unpredictable. When that day comes, we’ll see where we’re at.”

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