The Clippers have gone 0-3 on their Midwest road trip so far, but close out their travels with a winnable game against the middling Bulls.

Game Information

Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois

When: 5:00 PM PT

How to Watch: KTLA, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Amir Coffey – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Bulls: Josh Giddey – Kevin Huerter – Lonzo Ball – Matas Buzelis – Zach Collins

Injuries

Clippers: Norm Powell Out (Knee), Jordan Miller Out (G-League) Kai Jones Out (G-League), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)

Bulls: Nikola Vucevic Doubtful (Calf), Ayo Dosunmu Questionable (Shoulder), Kevin Huerter Probable (Quad), Zach Collins Probable (Shin), Jalen Smith Out (Concussion), Patrick Williams Out (Knee)

The Big Picture

The bad news? The Clippers have dropped three games in a row. The good news? Kawhi Leonard is back for this one after missing the last two games with a sore foot, indicating that injury was a minor one. The Clippers’ offense has been brutal the last couple games, with the Pistons’ loss Monday night being particularly rough, as the Clippers just could not make shots. Kawhi hasn’t been great this year, but he has mostly shot the ball well, and will help with that element at least. This should also be a good welcome back game for Kawhi, as the Bulls really have nobody who can guard him. Hopefully he looks good after a few days off.

The Antagonist

The Bulls are just 23-35, but are still hanging onto the 10^th spot in the Eastern Conference because of the ineptitude of the teams below them. In fact, before their recent win over the horrendous Sixers, the Bulls had lost six games in a row, and have won just five of their last 20 games. The Bulls traded away their best player, Zach LaVine, at the deadline, and other veterans like Nikola Vucevic are starting to sit on the other side of the All Star Break. In short, despite currently being in a postseason spot, and with a history of pursuing the playoffs at all costs, it doesn’t seem like the Bulls have much interest in winning down the stretch of this season. The Bulls still have real, veteran NBA talent on their roster, but the last couple months of the season will be about getting long looks at their young guys like Matas Buzelis, Julian Phillips, and Dalen Terry.

Notes

Must Win: This is the third game in four days for the Clippers and they’re on the road – yet it still might be the easiest game on their schedule for a couple weeks! After this game, the Clippers play the Lakers twice, the Suns, the Pistons, the Knicks, and then the Kings before taking on the Pelicans. Those are games against teams who are all trying to win, and all of whom outside of the Suns and maybe the Kings are feeling good about themselves. That makes this game against the slumping Bulls one the Clippers simply have to win to put themselves back on track and prepare for a brutal stretch where losing might be unfortunately common.

Clippers vs Bulls Preview: Ending the Three-Game Slide
Robert Flom

The Clippers have won four games in a row, but will likely be down multiple key players on the second night of a back-to-back against the visiting Bulls.

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Bulls: Josh Giddey – Coby White – Zach LaVine – Patrick Williams – Nikola Vucevic

Clippers: Kevin Porter Jr. – Amir Coffey – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Bulls: Torrey Craig Out (Leg), Chris Duarte Questionable (Personal), Jevon Carter Questionable (Illness), Adama Sanogo Questionable (Knee), Coby White Probable (Ankle)

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Load Management), James Harden Questionable (Illness), Kris Dunn Questionable (Knee), Ivica Zubac Questionable (Back), Norm Powell Questionable (Back), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team)

The Big Picture

The Clippers won in fairly dominant fashion last night in their biggest game of the season so far against the rival Lakers. As usual this season, their defense is what carried them to victory, with just a couple of spurts of good offense giving them the edge needed to solidify the win. Unfortunately, despite the win pushing the Clippers’ streak of victories to four, the Clips have barely made any advances in the standings, as everyone else in the West in the play-in mix and above continues to win on a frequent basis. Still, the Clippers appear to have righted the ship from their swoon a couple of weeks ago, and are ready to head into a more difficult part of their schedule with a (knock on wood) healthy team.

The Antagonist

The Bulls might be the most rudderless team in the NBA. Despite being just 18-25 and losers of five games in a row, the Bulls remain at 10^th in the Eastern Conference. They are not an up-and-comer like the Pistons or Spurs, they aren’t a pseudo-contender like the Magic or Pacers, and they certainly aren’t taking like the Wizards or Nets. Instead, they are perfectly mediocre, a team with just enough talent to win some games but not nearly enough to really do anything with – all while blocking younger players from getting minutes. With a Net Rating of -3.2, they are the last team in the “competent” category before you get to the real stinkers (the injury-riddled Sixers are at -4.3, and the team with the next best Net Rating is Charlotte at a putrid -5.6). The Bulls have a fine offense (16^th) and a bad but not awful defense (23^rd). On any given night they can certainly beat you, but are probably going to end the season with 30-34 wins and a meaningless 10^th or 11^th seed. Blah.

Notes

Who Plays: The Clippers marked several of their key players as questionable leading into yesterday’s game, only for all of them to play. The reasoning would seem to follow that they want to rest multiple of those players in today’s game and have an excuse for doing so that will not get the NBA upset at them. Kawhi Leonard has already been ruled out, and Law Murray has said that a “mass rest day” could be forthcoming. Whether that means all of the guys who were ruled questionable yesterday – Harden, Norm, Zu, and Dunn – or just a couple of them remains to be seen. Regardless, I would expect at least one or two other rotation players not named Kawhi to be out for this one. Nic Batum is another candidate due to his age. If the Clippers go full rest route, a win will be unlikely, even at home against the middling Bulls. If just one or two other players rest, the Clippers at least have a fighting chance.

Rotation Updates: Things will be different in this game because Kawhi (and probably others) will be out, but the Lakers’ game (the biggest of the season) was informative for where Ty Lue is at regarding rotations. Terance Mann did not play, Mo Bamba logged just six minutes (all in the first half), and Kris Dunn’s minutes were cut significantly. We have seen a core group develop: the five starters of Harden, Norm, DJJ, Kawhi, and Zu, Amir Coffey as the sixth man, and Nic Batum as the only other veteran forward. After that, Kris Dunn, Kevin Porter Jr., Terance Mann, and Mo Bamba are somewhere on the fringes (Dunn is currently the most solid but if he keeps bricking from three could slide) depending on the opponent and how Ty is feeling. Lots of things could change, but that’s how we seemingly stand right now as the trade deadline approaches.

Clippers vs Bulls Preview: Can the Clippers Push Their Winning Streak to Five?
Robert Flom

The Clippers got their mojo back for one night, playing exceptional offensive basketball to take down the Bulls 126-111 in a great road win.

Summary

The Clippers got off to a bit of a slow start in the very early going, falling down 5-0. However, they went on an 11-0 run, powered by two Bones Hyland steals and solid overall defense. Norm came in for Bones early after Bones picked up two fouls, but the Clippers defense remained airtight, resulting in a 28-14 lead with 3:07 to go. Unfortunately three shots from deep by Torrey Craig kept the Bulls attached despite Kawhi (6-7 for 12 points) and PG (6-6 for 15 points) scorching the nets, and the Clips led 37-26 after one.

The Clippers started the 2^nd with a Bones-Norm-Boston-Amir-Theis unit. Shockingly, the Bulls did not go on an immediate huge run. Instead, an 8-3 run actually had the Clippers up by 16 at one point. The starters slowly trickled back in as the bench stopped playing quite so well, with the starting unit full in at 6:15 and the lead back at 11. Jevon Carter had a stretch where he cooked, but the Clippers were able to answer each time, and maintained that 11-point lead heading into halftime.

The Clippers came out of halftime with a purpose, running their offense to a T. They spread the Bulls out in pick and roll and dished to shooters, or to Zu in the short roll – who then found shooters. The Bulls were able to keep up with some shotmaking of their own, but the Clippers’ offense was on a roll, and they got the lead to 90-74 with four minutes to go before Ty made a sub. When the bench came in, the offense ran dry, with the Clippers scoring just two points those last minutes. Fortunately, the Bulls were cold as well, and the Clippers led 92-80 going into the fourth.

The 4^th quarter did not start auspiciously, with a Norm-Amir-Mann-PG-Theis unit lacking much cohesion on either end. Back to back DeMar threes got the lead down to eight, and Ty returned with Bones in place of Mann. The offense, now with more spacing and handling, got right back into rhythm, and the Clippers quickly pushed the lead into double figures. The Bulls hung around for much of the middle of the period largely due to dominance inside with Drummond and Vuc, but the Clippers’ shotmaking was too much, and the Clippers’ lead of 18 with around three to go led to both coaches clearing their benches.

Notes

213 Show Up: With James Harden sitting out for the first time in his Clippers’ tenure, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George took over like they used to in the early 213 era, to spectacular results. George looked effortless scoring the ball, as he does on his best days, scoring 28 points on an insane 11-12 shooting (6-7) from three. Kawhi methodically got to his spots, and while he had a couple bad turnovers, had great and mostly early passes out of double teams that led to swing-swing plays and open Clippers threes. This was the Clippers’ superstar duo as was imagined nearly five years ago, complete with mostly very good defensive performances, and it was beautiful to watch.

Bones Gets Bizzy: For as great as Kawhi and PG were, the best stat line of the game might belong to Bones Hyland, starting for the first time since very early in the year and absolutely thriving. Bones had 17 points on 6-9 shooting in 32 minutes, with the low attempts (for Bones) almost as notable as the efficiency. He had 11 assists to 1 turnover, mixing in solid swing passes with some truly brilliant dimes, and just made the right play nearly every possession. Not only that, but Bones chipped in 5 rebounds and 4 steals, showcasing his ability to make defensive plays despite his fouling and slight physical stature. It was a phenomenal showing, and while Bones won’t always play this well, this – quick decisions, shooting open shots off the catch, moving without the ball – is how he needs to play.

Clippers vs. Bulls Recap: A Running of the Bulls
Robert Flom

The Clippers are coming off yet another horrid loss – can they bounce back against the try-hard Bulls?

Game Information

Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois

When: 5:00 PM PT

How to Watch: Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570

Tickets: For great deals on Clippers tickets, check out Barry’s Tickets!

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Paul George – Terance Mann – PJ Tucker – Ivica Zubac

Bulls: Coby White – Alex Caruso – Ayo Dosunmu – DeMar DeRozan – Nikola Vucevic

Injuries

Clippers: Russell Westbrook Out (Hand), Kawhi Leonard Questionable (Back), James Harden Questionable (Shoulder)

Bulls: Zach LaVine Out (Foot), Patrick Williams Out (Foot), Lonzo Ball Out (Knee)

The Big Picture

The Clippers keep finding new lows, with a blown 22-point lead ending up in a blowout loss at the hands of the Timberwolves. Worse, Kawhi Leonard left with a back injury – though it fortunately does not seem to be serious. They are just about firmly out of the run of the top 2 seeds, and are in real danger of falling out of the long-held 4 spot. Bigger than the seedings and standings is the Clippers play – where they are at won’t matter if they aren’t playing well. The defense in particular is a mess, especially in transition, and there’s just no excuse for some of the gaffes on that end. The Clippers are not good right now, even though their record has not plummeted much, and they are running out of time to recapture the lightning in the bottle from their 26-5 stretch.

The Antagonist

The Bulls are one of the teams that’s most locked into their relative spot in the standings, as they sit 4.5 games behind the Heat for 8^th in the Eastern Conference but are five games ahead of the Nets in 11^th. They are exceedingly likely to be in the 9 or 10 seed along with the Hawks, the two East teams most complacent with mediocrity. Still, as the Clippers found out last week when they barely scratched a win over the Bulls, this is a feisty group. DeRozan is still a bucket. Caruso is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. And Coby White is a prime candidate for Most Improved Player. The Bulls aren’t a great home team, but this is certainly no gimme.

Notes

No Rest Zone: The Clippers will have had a day of rest before this game but traveled from LA to Chicago, and will have a game in New Orleans the following day. The Bulls, meanwhile, played a game last night in Indiana that went to overtime and saw their key players all log heavy minutes. Both teams, therefore, will probably be pretty tired and not in the best of best of spirits. The end of the regular season, everyone!
Ivica No Zublocka: Most people’s concerns around the Clippers have been centered on the down play of Paul George, the timidness and lack of burst of James Harden, the injury to Russell Westbrook, or even the ineffectiveness of their backup big men. One of their biggest issues, however, is that starting center Ivica Zubac has not been the same since his injury in January. He averaged just 10 points and 8.1 rebounds in February and is at 9.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in March so far – after being at over 12 points and 10 rebounds across the first three months of the season. And it’s not just scoring and rebounding, it’s the rim protection that’s faded too. Zubac had 17 blocks in November and 18 in December, yet has amassed just 19 since then across 21 games played. If Zu is not playing at the level he was to start the year, the Clippers lack an interior presence on both ends that makes it very tough for them to excel.

Clippers vs Bulls Preview: Bouncing Back
Robert Flom

The LA Clippers used a second-half comeback to grab a 112-102 win agains the visiting Chicago Bulls.

Summary

Weekend matinee games have never been kind to the Clippers and Saturday against the Bulls was no different.

The Clippers got off to another slow start and gave the Bulls confidence to begin the game. A 23-12 deficit could have been seen coming from a mile away.

While they managed to whittle the lead down by the end of the first quarter, the second quarter was worse. Turnovers and poor transition defense, two of the Clippers main issues, were at the forefront of their 57-46 halftime deficit.

The Clippers did a complete 180 in the second half. A 10-0 run about halfway through the third quarter tied the game up at 67 and then another spurt saw them pull ahead, 76-71.

The Bulls had an answer though as a late Coby White three-point shot sent Chicago into the fourth quarter ahead, 85-83.

The Clipper used an 11-0 run early in the fourth to take control of the game, but the Bulls continued to have a response. It wasn’t until James Harden really put his stamp on the game that the Clippers surged ahead and didn’t look back. Harden finished with a triple-double, 14 points, 11 rebounds and ten assists.

Following the game, Clippers associate head coach Dan Craig credited the team’s urgency on the defensive end as being the key catalyst in the turnaround.

“We came out and really wanted to put some pressure on [DeMar] DeRozan and make him uncomfortable. . .get the ball out of his hands and that allowed us to get out in transition and get a couple of easy ones,” Craig said. “Offensively, the ball was really popping, just moving the ball side to side. We talked about it at halftime, just what to look for just in terms of what’s going to be available. I thought we did a good job exposing that.”

A major part of the Clippers second half comeback was Bones Hyland. With the injury to Russell Westbrook, Hyland has found himself back in the rotation as the backup point guard.

Hyland providing a spark in the third quarter and finished the game with ten points in 13 minutes. But it was his defense that was also a key factor.

“He comes in and he’s not afraid on either end of the floor,” Craig said about Hyland. “His off the ball defense is very good, he knows what he’s supposed to be doing. He’s active with his shrinks. And then just in terms of guarding the ball, he really tries to take the challenge, he’s not afraid of the matchup.”

Clippers vs. Bulls Game Recap: Second Half Surge
David Yapkowitz

The Clippers have had a couple days of rest, and now have a back-to-back of matinee weekend games starting with the Bulls.

Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

When: 1PM PT

How to Watch: Clippervision, Bally Sports SoCal

Tickets: For great deals on Clippers tickets, check out Barry’s Tickets!

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Terance Mann – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Bulls: Coby White – Ayo Dosunmu – DeMar DeRozan – Andre Drummond – Nikola Vucevic

Injury Report

Clippers: Russell Westbrook out (hand), James Harden Questionable (Shoulder), Kawhi Leonard Questionable (Groin), Paul George Questionable (Knee)

Bulls: Lonzo Ball out (knee), Zach LaVine out (foot), Patrick Williams out (foot).

The Big Picture

The LA Clippers return home after a semi-successful three-game road trip. Even though they went 2-1, they found themselves trailing by double-digits during their wins against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets and blew a large lead in their loss to the Bucks.

Nevertheless, wins are wins and the Wolves win was incredibly impressive especially considering the Clippers poor play against them so far this season.

As they return home for a few games, health is one of the key areas of focus for the Clippers. Although they have starting center Ivica Zubac back in the lineup, he’s still hampered by the effects of his illness and he did not play in the second half against the Rockets.

Defensively, the Clippers need to be better, especially to start games. They’ve managed to dig themselves out of holes in recent games but that’s not conducive to winning basketball. Rebounding has to be better as well. Against the Rockets, Houston was just quicker to loose balls after missed shots.

Those aforementioned issues could be addressed with the presence of a healthy Zubac; it can’t be stressed enough how important he is to this team.

The Antagonist

The Chicago Bulls come to town essentially locked into one of the play-in spots in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls are stuck in no-man’s-land. Not bad enough to tank and not good enough to scare anyone in postseason play.

They’re a .500 team but they aren’t pushovers either. They’ll come out ready to play and if the game stays close, well DeMar DeRozan turns into prime Michael Jordan in the clutch.

If Zubac is not able to play or is not effective, that could be trouble for the Clippers. The Bulls present a big frontline of Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond. Drummond in particular is a good rebounder and tough to keep off the glass for a smaller lineup.

Weekend matinee games have never been easy for the Clippers and they’re facing not one, but two in a row. It doesn’t get easier with the Milwaukee Bucks in town on Sunday and Giannis Antetokounmpo probably expected to play. He missed the last game in Milwaukee this past week. The Bulls game is a game the Clippers need to get.

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Clippers vs. Bulls Game Preview
David Yapkowitz

The LA Clippers picked up a much-needed win, 124-112 over the Chicago Bulls as they keep pace in the Western Conference.

Summary

In the past two games against the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans, the Clippers starters did not start the game with the requisite energy and intensity. The bench was able to get them back into the game against the Thunder but could not do so against the Pelicans.

Fortunately for the Clippers, they didn’t need the bench to clean up the starters’ mess as they came out of the gates ready to go. Although they trailed the Bulls, 32-27 after the first quarter, the Clippers shot over 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range, setting the tone for what was to come.

In the second quarter, Russell Westbrook anchored a bench unit that rattled off a 10-0 run and put the Clippers in the drivers seat for the rest of the way. Nicolas Batum was a big part of the second quarter surge, with five made three-point shots in the first half.

After halftime, the Clippers surged ahead by double-digits and never looked back. The Clippers ball movement was phenomenal, resulting in a season-high 41 assists. That ball movement led to open threes, with Batum being the beneficiary of a lot of those passes. Batum finished with a game-high 24 points with all of his buckets coming off three-point shots (8-10).

The Clippers had six other players in addition to Batum reach double-figures in scoring, including Bones Hyland who had his third straight productive game off the bench.

The Bulls were on the second end of a back-to-back and it showed in the second half. They ran out of gas and just couldn’t withstand the Clippers three-point barrage. The Clippers finished the game 20-40 from three-point range.

Notes:
– In a bit of a surprising lineup change, albeit one that makes sense, it was revealed that Nicolas Batum will replace Marcus Morris Sr. in the starting lineup for the rest of the regular season and presumably into the playoffs. Morris has struggled with his shot as of late while Batum has been very productive. With no Paul George, the Clippers need consistent three-point shooting around Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard and Batum can provide that.

-Despite the win, the Clippers didn’t make any ground on moving up in the standings as the Phoenix Suns got a win on Monday as well. With the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors breathing down the Clippers necks for fifth, this upcoming road trip is even more magnified. It may sound like a broken record, but every game matters.

Clippers shoot lights out from three-point range as they crush Chicago
David Yapkowitz

The LA Clippers have another must win game if they want to keep pace in the standings, this time against the visiting Chicago Bulls.

Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: Clippervision, Bally Sports SoCal

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Russell Westbrook – Eric Gordon – Kawhi Leonard – Marcus Morris Sr. – Ivica Zubac

Bulls: Patrick Beverley – Zach LaVine – Alex Caruso – DeMar DeRozan – Nikola Vucevic

Injury Report

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard probable (face contusion), Paul George out (right knee), Norman Powell out (left shoulder), Brandon Boston Jr. out (tailbone)

Bulls: Lonzo Ball out (left knee), Javonte Green questionable (knee)

The Big Picture

For a moment, the Clippers moved into the fourth seed in the Western Conference standings, something that didn’t always seem possible given the team’s uneven play since returning from the All-Star break. It was short-lived, however, with the Clippers uninspiring loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday pushing them back to 5th.

The Clippers seemingly managed to avoid total catastrophe though with the news that Kawhi Leonard is probably good to go against the Chicago Bulls. Leonard took a hit to the face against the Pelicans and did not return after exiting the game. This team has been incredibly reliant on Leonard. He had an off-game against the Pelicans, and well, you saw what the result was.

The Clippers got some help in the standings as well on Sunday in the form of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves beat the Golden State Warriors, 99-96, and thus kept the Warriors from overtaking the Clippers in the standings for fifth.

With the Clippers not having the tie-breaker against pretty much every team close to them in the standings, they need to get as much separation as possible. That’s why this Bulls game is so huge. Chicago will be on the second game of a back-to-back and the Clippers should be well rested.

They should also want to wipe the bitter taste of the Pelicans loss out of their mouths. Finishing ahead of the Suns and grabbing the fourth seed, thus ensuring them homecourt in the first round of the playoffs, is still doable.

The Antagonist

The Chicago Bulls being in town brings along a familiar face for the Clippers. Fan-favorite Patrick Beverley is running the point for the Bulls and the team has been playing much better since signing him on the buyout market.

The Bulls are 10-5 since signing Beverley and they are keeping pace in the Eastern Conference standings. They hold a two and a half game lead over the Indiana Pacers for the final play-in spot and they still have a shot to finish as high as eighth. They have something to play for. Even on a back-to-back they’re going to be ready to play.

This is a team that has struggled to score at times even with Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. They have been a good defensive team though, and they are currently fifth in the league in defensive rating at 112.4. They just put a beatdown on the Los Angeles Lakers who are also desperately trying to grab a play-in spot.

They’re a bit of an older team though that doesn’t play at such a fast pace. That favors the Clippers more so than the Pelicans. It seems like every game is a must win for the Clippers these days and it’s just tough to predict what type of team will show up. Hopefully the Clippers put forth a better effort, at least.

Clippers vs. Bulls Game Preview
David Yapkowitz

The Clippers played yet another close game in Chicago, much like last year. This year, though, they were able to comeback from down 19 and hold on for the win. Check out our recap below: 

Summary

Here’s a riddle: How did the Clippers win a game in which they (1) at one point trailed by 19 points, (2) shot under 40% from the field and 30% from three, (3) allowed the Bulls to shoot 50% from the field and from three, (4) had Mann, Kennard, Batum, and Jackson combine to shoot 4/31, and (5) were out-rebounded and out-assisted?

First, the three best scorers carried their share of the load and some. Kawhi Leonard had 33 points, four rebounds, five assists, five steals (including the game-winning steal), and two blocks in 40 minutes. Paul George was less efficient but still added 16 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists (but five turnovers). And, finally, Norman Powell had a super-efficient 27 points on 64% shooting, going 10/10 from the line (including two clutch free throws). Powell’s 20 first-half points also kept the Clippers in this game after they went down 19.

Second, the Bulls turned the ball over 20 times to the Clippers’ eight. The Clippers only had 11 points off of those turnovers (in fact, the Bulls had 24 points off turnovers), but the turnover differential allowed the Clippers to take 16 more shots than the Bulls. Therefore, although the Clippers shot 10% worse than the Bulls from the field, they only made one fewer shot. Relatedly, the Clippers had five more offensive rebounds, even though they lost the overall rebounding battle by seven.

Finally, the coaching staff apparently took this game more seriously than others—or at least did not totally mess up the Clippers’ comeback. [Perhaps they were forced to figure it out after going down by so much early.] The Clippers only played nine players tonight, including only seven minutes for Robert Covington. Ty Lue did not experiment with Moussa Diabate or Moses Brown (who was not even active). We actually saw the “Wingstop” (Terance, George, Leonard, Batum, and Covington) lineup in a key moment. It was not perfect (many are rightfully questioning the decision to have Reggie close the game) but a win is a win. The coaches deserve some credit for helping this team comeback to win on the road.

Notes

Norman Powell for 6MOY: Norman Powell is averaging 16.2 points on 48/42/78 shooting splits. Only Bennedict Mathurin (17.8) is averaging more points off the bench, but Powell is trending upwards, averaging 17.9 points in January. He is also in the top three of 25-point games off the bench. Finally, he is a good bellwether for this Clippers team: he is scoring 17.7 points in wins, but only 14.5 in losses. When he shoots well, the Clippers win. Being the X-Factor for the 4th seed in the West is a nice thing to have on one’s resume.

Around the NBA: The Clippers are now 29-25 and are the 4th seed. At the time of writing, the Pelicans are up three at the half on the Nuggets; a Pelicans loss would help the Clippers a lot because it would put them at 26 losses. Here are the rooting interests for Wednesday’s games:

• Grizzlies over Trail Blazers (to get the Blazers to 27 losses)
• Timberwolves over Warriors (coin flip—but getting the Warriors to 25 losses would help more than the Timberwolves getting to 27)
• Spurs over Kings (the Kings being this good is fun but annoying for the Clippers)
• Raptors over Jazz
• Hawks over Suns

That about does it for this recap of the Clippers’ comeback win against the Bulls. As always, check out The Lob The Jam The Podcast and Clips ‘N Dip for analysis throughout the week, and follow us on Twitter to watch the game with us!

Clippers comeback in Chicago, win 108-103
Kenneth Armstrong

The LA Clippers travel from Cleveland to Chicago to take on the Bulls for the third game of the annual Grammy’s Road Trip. The Clippers will have their stars—Kawhi Leonard and Paul George—available, so it should be a good one. Check out our preview below:

Game Information

Where: United Center, Chicago, IL

When: 5:00 PM PT

How to Watch: ClipperVision, Bally Sports SoCal

How to Listen: AM 570 KLAC

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: Terance Mann – Luke Kennard – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Bulls: Ayo Dosunmu – Zach LaVine – DeMar DeRozan – Patrick Williams – Nikola Vucevic

Injuries

Clippers: 
QUESTIONABLE – Marcus Morris, Sr. (ribs); Robert Covington (personal); Reggie Jackson (achilles)

OUT – John Wall (abdominal)

Bulls:
PROBABLE – Derrick Jones, Jr. (ankle); Marko Simonovic (neck)

OUT – Lonzo Ball (knee); Javonte Green (knee)

The Big Picture

The Bulls are 23-26, the 10th seed in the EEast, and the Clippers will have the two best players on the floor. The Clippers are also, flatly, playing much better over the last ten games, led by Kawhi Leonard, who is returning to All-NBA form.

In a vacuum, the Clippers also have a much better bench than the Bulls (we’ll see what the actual bench looks like when we get the updated injury report). Currently, LA score the third-most points off the bench with 42.7, while the Bulls rank 24th.

In sum, the Clippers should take care of business tonight. They have 14 roads wins this season—the most of any Western Conference team—so not even that should be an excuse.

The Antagonist

On the other hand, the Bulls do have two All-Star caliber players in DeRozan and LaVine. Moreover, Vucevic and Williams will be a handful for Zubac to handle without a true back up and without playing next to a true power forward. If Covington and Morris are unable to go, the Clippers will have to depend on Diabate and/or Brown to rebound and protect the rim – a very tough ask.

Note

Last year, the Clippers lost to the Bulls in Chicago, 135-130, in late March. The Clippers gave up a 10 points lead in the fourth quarter, allowing the Bulls to earn overtime. Even worse, up three with 7 seconds to go in regulation, Terance Mann fouled DeMar DeRozan before the ball was thrown in, so DeRozan got a free throw, which he made. Then, Paul George fouled DeRozan. He hit two more free throws, forcing the aforementioned overtime (in fact, he could have won the game at the line, but he missed his third free throw).

Why do I bring up this game? Well, because there are some interesting parallels, in my opinion. Paul George had just come back from an extended absence due to an elbow injury; Norman Powell was still out with his foot injury; the team was only a few games off of .500; Batum and Morris had been on-and-off the injury report because of ankle and knee soreness, respectively; and on and on and on.

Although it was just one game, it turned out to be predictive of what was to come in the play-in: Terance Mann, for all of his improvement, was still susceptible to immature mistakes. The Clippers ultimately lost in OT because Paul George was unable to play (then, because of a minutes restriction; in the play-in, because of illness). And the Clippers once again came up short against an above-.500 team (the Bulls were 45-32 at the time).

Some of the above issues are apparently solved. For example, Mann has grown as a player this year—even trusted to “run” the starting lineup. And Powell has become a constant; not only healthy, but producing well. But others remain: Batum and Morris are still older players who deal with the occasional wear-and-tear injury; George is still somewhat limited by injuries (though he has looked good recently); and the Clippers still struggle against above-.500 teams, only a few games off of .500 themselves.

The game-changer (excuse the pun), of course, is Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers would not have lost last year if he was available, and they should not this year. These east coast road trips have a habit of revealing how good—or vulnerable—a team is, though. Last year, it revealed that the Clippers were getting healthy too late in the season and were not ready for prime time. This year is to be determined, but we might get a hint over the next few games.

That about does it for this preview of the Clippers’ upcoming game against the Bulls. As always, check out The Lob The Jam The Podcast and Clips ‘N Dip for analysis throughout the week, and follow us on Twitter to watch the game with us!

Clippers vs. Bulls Game Preview
Kenneth Armstrong