NEWSLETTER
Can tonight provide the spark this team has been waiting for?
The Bulls have been one of the most homesick teams in the NBA this season.
Road: 18-22
Home: 26-10Fortunately, five of the team's last six games will be at the United Center. Let's hope that loud crowd can help lock in the 5th seed.
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) March 31, 2022
Game Info
Chicago Bulls (43-32) at Clippers (37-39) – 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio)
Projected Starters
Chicago Bulls
1. Alex Caruso
2. Zach LaVine
3. DeMar DeRozan
4. Javonte Green
5. Nikola Vucevic
Injury Report: Lonzo Ball OUT (knee), Zach LaVine PROBABLE (knee)
Los Angeles Clippers
1. Reggie Jackson
2. Paul George
3. Marcus Morris
4. Nic Batum
5. Ivica Zubac
Injury Report: Nic Batum QUESTIONABLE (ankle), Marcus Morris Sr. (knee), Norman Powell OUT (foot), Jason Preston OUT (foot), Kawhi Leonard OUT (knee), Jay Scrubb OUT (foot), Brandon Boston Jr. OUT (illness)
Odds
The Bulls walk into tonight as a -2.0 favorite against the Clippers at PointsBet Illinois Sportsbook and at the FanDuel Illinois Sportsbook. Click on either link to sign up and pick the Bulls to cover (… or pick the opposite, I guess …)!
What to Watch For …
• If the Chicago Bulls can work around the Clippers’ 8th-ranked defense, they could somewhat easily win in a shootout. LA has averaged just a 45.4 field goal percentage per game, which ranks 24th in the NBA. The addition of Paul George back in the starting lineup will certainly help give this offense a boost, but they simply don’t have a significant number of efficient offensive options in their rotation. Point guard Reggie Jackson might as well be the team’s second-best option, averaging 16.9 points per game on just a 39.2 percent mark from the floor.
• As good as the Clippers’ defense has been this season, they have still been surprisingly susceptible to allowing efficient scoring nights in the paint. The 49.7 points in the paint per game allowed to their opponent rank 25th in the league. Ivica Zubac provides a sturdy presence down-low, but this might be another opportunity for Nikola Vucevic to get rolling early. Using his ability to space the floor could be especially helpful against the Clippers’ big.
• The Clippers are an athletic bunch that tends to outwork their opponent. There is no question the Bulls are the more talented team, but if they fall into any of those annoying lapses we’ve seen in recent weeks, this opponent will quickly take advantage. Tonight simply has to be a full 48-minute effort.
• A lot more in here …
Facing Paul George, Who Would You Want in a Playoff Series? Zach and DeMar are Clutch, and Other Bulls Bulletshttps://t.co/c7kTrze39n pic.twitter.com/PNEqzoADCt
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) March 31, 2022
