Pre-Gamin’: Bulls at Grizzlies (7:00 CT) – Broadcast Info, Projected Lineups, What to Watch For
Three in a row … that’s called a winning streak! Tonight’s the toughest test the Bulls have had since the 108-103 loss to the Clippers, but we don’t need to re-visit that one. Memphis has lost 8 of 9, it’s an opportunity to grab a win on the road against a good team for the Bulls.
Game Info
Chicago Bulls (26-27) at Memphis Grizzlies (32-21) – 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio)
Projected Starting Lineups
Chicago Bulls
- Ayo Dosunmu
- Alex Caruso
- Zach LaVine
- Patrick Williams
- Nikola Vučević
Injury Report: Patrick Williams PROBABLE (ankle), DeMar DeRozan QUESTIONABLE (hip), Alex Caruso QUESTIONABLE (foot), Lonzo Ball OUT (knee), Javonte Green OUT (knee)
Memphis Grizzlies
- Ja Morant
- Desmond Bane
- Dillon Brooks
- Xavier Tillman
- Santi Aldama
Injury Report: Steven Adams OUT (knee)
Odds
The Bulls come into tonight as 9.5-point underdogs against the Grizzlies at both PointsBet Illinois Sportsbook and FanDuel Illinois Sportsbook. Click on either link to sign up and pick the Bulls to cover (… or pick the opposite …)!
What to Watch For
- DeMar being out isn’t ideal. It isn’t super surprising to find out something is nagging him though at this point in the season. For as often as stars and veterans take off in the NBA, DeMar is never really one of those guys. With it being the 3rd game in four nights and the second leg of a back-to-back, a maintenance night off might not be the worst idea.
- Tonight is the last game before the trade deadline, though, I don’t think tonight’s result will have much effect. LaVine is going nowhere despite teams calling on him, and it will reportedly take an absolute haul for Caruso to move. Before it’s all said and done I’m sure we’ll see a minor move or two from the front office.
- Andre Drummond was awesome off the bench last night, and Vooch chipped in with his usual double-double. With Steven Adams out for Memphis still, hitting the boards and winning the battle in the paint could go a long way toward a Bulls win. In the last two games Adams played, the Grizzlies lost by 1 and 2 points. Since his injury, they’ve gone 1-6 and lost by double digits 4 times. The Bulls should attack the paint early and often.
- It’s been nice seeing Coby White get involved and make more of an impact than just a volume shooter. Hitting threes will always be his biggest asset, but White has made a bigger all-around impact in the last few weeks, especially in the absence of Alex Caruso. Hopefully, that continues with Caruso back in the lineup, because all of a sudden that’s some real depth at guard.
