Check out our Clippers vs Bulls game preview as LAC looks to regain their stride against the Bulls after toughing out a win against the Timberwolves. To do so, the Clippers’ wings, sans Paul George, will have to contain the Bulls’ young scorers.
Game Information
Where: United Center, Chicago, IL
When: 5:00 PM PT
How to Watch: Fox Sports Prime Ticket, AM 570 LA Sports
Projected Starting Lineups
Clippers: Patrick Beverley — Reggie Jackson — Kawhi Leonard — Nicolas Batum — Serge Ibaka
Bulls: Coby White — Zach Lavine — Denzel Valentine — Patrick Williams —Daniel Gafford
Injuries
Clippers: OUT — Paul George (foot)
Bulls: OUT — Wendell Carter, Jr. (quad); OUT — Chandler Hutchison (personal); OUT — Lauri Markkanen (shoulder); OUT — Otto Porter, Jr. (back)
The Big Picture
On Wednesday, the Clippers narrowly escaped (OK, not “narrowly,” but it did look pretty ugly there for a while) with a win in Minneapolis. This Kings-Timberwolves-Bulls-Cavaliers stretch is supposed to be a “break” in the schedule before the Clippers find themselves staring down Miami, Utah (twice), and Brooklyn next week. The Clippers already dropped a bad loss against the Kings, so they need to clean up the Bulls and Cavs — and come out healthy.
In respect to health, the Clippers are making some progress. Specifically, Patrick Beverly came back from a knee injury and helped get the Clippers over the hump after a slow start. Although he only played 18 minutes, Beverly made a few good defensive plays and scored in transition when the Clippers needed a big play.
On Wednesday, Lou Williams also had a comeback of sorts. He had a season-high 27 points on 10/15 shooting, along with five rebounds and four assists. While we have known all season that Lou still had a high-gear, it was nice to see him show it off. Against the Bulls on Friday, the Clippers will likely need him to keep up the scoring, as Paul George is still at home in Los Angeles.
Even without George, the Clippers should have a roster advantage. We’ll get into the Bulls’ strengths below, but they are not a good defensive team. Their defensive rating is only 0.3 better than the Timberwolves and are fifth worst in Defended Field Goals Percentage. Between Kawhi, Lou, and Batum, the Clippers’ wings should be able to get up shots and score efficiently.
The Antagonist
Although the Bulls have issues on the defensive end, they certainly can score. They are (very) slightly above the Clippers in points per game at 115.1, are forth in field goal percentage, and are third in pace. In the Bulls’ last game, against the Pelicans, we saw what they look like at their best: 129 points, led by Zach LaVine with 46 and Coby White with 30. The Clippers’ wings will have to check this fast, efficient team all night, which could become a problem without George.
Notes
- Terance Mann: As Lucas pointed out in his player grades, Mann has shown, over the last two games, that he can be a contributor to this team. He will not necessarily stuff a stat sheet, but he will make hustle plays and rebounding. Against the Bulls, he will need to be one of the Clippers’ wings who are checking LaVine and White.
- Bench: The Bulls’ bench actually leads the league in net rating. With the Clippers’ bench already scrambled with Reggie Jackson having to start, guys like Luke Kennard and Marcus Morris, Sr. will have to score efficiently and keep the Bulls’ bench under control.
213Hoops is an independently owned and operated L.A. Clippers blog by Clippers fans, for Clippers fans. If you enjoy our content, please consider subscribing to our Patreon. Subscriptions start at $1 a month and support from readers like you goes a long way towards helping us keep 213Hoops sustainable, growing, and thriving.
