Chicago Bulls vs Indiana Pacers Preview and Match Prediction - February 15th, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The Indiana Pacers host the Chicago Bulls at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in an enticing 2020-21 NBA. The Chicago Bulls will hope to settle scores with the Indiana Pacers after falling to a defeat the first time the two sides met this season.
Both the Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers have been poor in their last ten outings. While the Chicago Bulls have registered three wins, the Indiana Pacers have registered four.
However, the Indiana Pacers have a better overall record at 14-13 and currently sit fifth in the East standings; the Chicago Bulls, on the other hand, are 11th and have had to deal with injuries to key players. The Bulls are 10-15 on the season.
Match Details
Fixture: Chicago Bulls vs Indiana Pacers Prediction - NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Monday, February 15th, 2021; 7:00 PM ET (Tuesday 5:30 AM IST).
Venue: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN.
Chicago Bulls Preview
The Chicago Bulls' defensive woes this season have been disconcerting. The LA Clippers exploited the Bulls defense to clinch a 125-106 victory.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan mentioned that there were too many quick possessions in that game that led to too much exhaustion defensively, saying:
"It was like no pass, one pass, shot. And if you don't make those shots, you're back having to guard again instead of maybe getting to the free-throw line, slowing the game down, getting physicality into the game defensively."
Guard Zach LaVine, who was reportedly fifth in the second round of All-Star voting with 936,309 votes, was once again the best player for the Chicago Bulls in the loss to the Clippers. He scored 26 points, claimed nine boards and provided six assists.
However, the Chicago Bulls will be without starter Lauri Markannen yet again; the second-highest average scorer will take at least 2-4 weeks to make his comeback after being diagnosed with a shoulder sprain.
Key Player - Zach LaVine
Zach Lavine has been the best player on the Chicago Bulls roster for a while. He leads the team in average points (28.1 PPG) and rebounds (5.4 RPG).
Lavine was fabulous in the Bulls' recent victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, where he scored a season-high 46 points, and hit nine of the Chicago's franchise's record 25 3-pointers.
Coach Billy Donovan will hope that his star player scores another season-high against the Indiana Pacers this time.
Chicago Bulls Predicted Lineup
G - Coby White, G - Zach LaVine, F - Patrick Williams, F - Garrett Temple, C - Daniel Gafford.
Indiana Pacers Preview
The Indiana Pacers have gotten back to winning ways; they will look to win three on the trot when they take on the Chicago Bulls. Domantas Sabonis, Doug McDermott and Myles Turner have been key for them during this period.
Sabonis, meanwhile, starred in the win against the Detroit Pistons, scoring 26 points, bagging eight rebounds and providing eight assists; McDermott and Turner chipped in with 26 and 16 points respectively against the Atlanta Hawks.
Domantas Sabonis has been in top form in recent weeks. Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren will hope for more of the same from him, as he looks to keep his team amongst the top 5 in the Eastern Conference standings.
Key Player - Malcolm Brogdon
Malcolm Brogdon has been fairly quiet in the last few games. The Indiana Pacers floor general will hope to find his scoring touch in the next game and give the likes of Sabonis some much-needed support. The point guard is averaging a team-high 21.1 PPG this season.
The Indiana Pacers will also hope he gets some of his January form back; he was shooting at 44.5% FG compared to his 38.5% this month. Brogdon's return to form will be key for the Indiana Pacers, as the season enters a critical phase.
Predicted Lineup
G - Justin Holiday, G - Malcolm Brogdon, F - Doug McDermott, F - Domantas Sabonis, C - Myles Turner.
Bulls vs Pacers Match Prediction
Considering the Indiana Pacers' current form, they look like a better team than the Chicago Bulls at the moment.
However, the Chicago Bulls can be really good on their day. But with homecourt advantage coming into play, the Indiana Pacers are likely to edge out the Chicago Bulls in a close encounter.
Where to watch Bulls vs Pacers?
The game between the Chicago Bulls and the Indiana Pacers will be telecast on Fox Sports Indiana and NBC Sports Chicago. Fans can also live-stream the game on the NBA League Pass.