L.A. Clippers at Chicago
Time: 7:30 PM CT (ABC/ESPN)
Spread: LAC -2.5
Total: 208.5
Betting odds c/o 5dimes
The Los Angeles Clippers have lost two straight and won just five of its past 10 SU and will travel to face the 31-30 Chicago Bulls at 7:30 (CT) on ESPN Saturday night. The Clippers are 2.5 point favorites at the United Center where Chicago has posted a 19-12 mark in the 2016-17 NBA season. The over/under is set at 208.5 points.
The Clippers average 107.9 points per game this season while surrendering 105.1 nightly, for a differential of +2.8. Chicago scores 102.8 and gives up 103.1, good for -0.8 differential. The Bulls have won six of its past 10 games, and most recently defeated the Golden State Warriors 94-87, while utterly shutting down the hot shooting backcourt of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry. The pairing shot just a combined 15 of 49 and Golden State was just 38.6 percent from the floor and 6 of 30 from three-point range in the game.
The Bulls got a strong game from forward Bobby Portis. The second-year big man from Arkansas had 17 points, 13 rebounds and a bock in 31 minutes while posting the best court differential of any Bull at +21. Jimmy Butler contributed 22 points on 6 of 14 shooting (10 of 10 free throws), six assists and five rebounds.
The Warriors were outrebounded by a differential of eight, and Chicago hit 5 of 19 from three-point range while shooting 43.9 percent overall. Chicago played its pace and the Warriors were hot hitting shots they usually hit: it was an any given night type of parable, but the Bulls are a good enough basketball team to impose its way on better teams at times, and this game was in Chicago where the Bulls have been decent all season.
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To be sure, it is a Bulls team with plenty of problems, but perhaps moving past Taj Gibson and injecting Portis into the starting lineup may be the best thing. The Bulls also acquired Cameron Payne, who staff is high on. He had eight points, three assists and three rebounds in just 13 minutes of play in the win over the Warriors, but he could in eventuality be the starting 1-man in Chicago. The Bulls will certainly have an open audition for Jerian Grant, Payne and Michael Carter-Williams. Combo guard Denzel Valentine is also promising.
The Bulls on the verge of making a transition, as its aged, rented talents like Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo age towards retirement. What remains to be seen is if the Bulls seek to trade Butler and push the reset button in full around a package that can jumpstart a true rebuilding effort.
Chicago has scarcely been a team to rebuild over the history of its organization, but the time may be right with James and the Warriors concluding a dynasty-type rivalry and other teams like the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards and Chicago all waiting in the wings with sufficient talent to make a run in several seasons.
Moving away from Butler could accomplish that three-year window of making this team a true contender, at the time when the East begins to soften with an aged James.
The Clippers fell 122-103 to the Houston Rockets and last time dropped 112-101 to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Clips have Chris Paul back in the fold, and a healthy Blake Griffin, and the time for the team to make a run is now. Paul had 21 points and Griffin added another 21 in its loss to Milwaukee, but the Clippers bench added just 29 points while Milwaukee got 50 points from its reserves, led by Greg Monroe’s 24 points on 11 of 15 shooting.
The Clippers have sometimes had issues with bigger opponents, and the Bucks won the game despite being out-rebounded 38-25 in the game. Milwaukee shot 55 percent from the floor and hit 10 threes. Malcolm Brogdon was 4 of 5 from three and Jason Terry hit 2 of 3 from three en route to eight points and two assists in 25 minutes (which were quite effective ones from the veteran, who posted a +28 differential).
Blake Griffin has been sensational over the past 10 games: 24.3 points, 7.0 assists and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 49.4 percent from the floor. He is a free agent this offseason and the sixth-year All-Star is no lock to resign in Los Angeles. He has established himself among the elite at his position, and there may be numerous clubs looking to build their hopes around Griffin’s talents.
The Clippers seem to have run their course as a club, and Chris Paul will be entering free agency, though he has verbally already agreed to a massive extension to remain in L.A.
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