LA Clippers vs Chicago Bulls Prediction & Match Preview - February 12, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The LA Clippers will end their two-game road trip in the 2020-21 NBA with a stop in the east to take on the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. This will be the last road game for the LA Clippers before they begin a six-game homestand.
The Chicago Bulls are 4-8 on their homecourt this season and are currently outside the Eastern Playoff picture at tenth.
Meanwhile, the LA Clippers are 10-4 on the road and have a 12-2 record over teams that are below .500 on the season. They are currently third in the Western Conference standings.
Match Details
Fixture: LA Clippers vs Chicago Bulls | NBA Season 2020-21.
Date & Time: Friday, February 12th, 8:00 PM ET (Saturday, February 11th, 6:30 AM IST).
Venue: United Center, Chicago, Illinois.
LA Clippers Preview
The LA Clippers were able to get back on track with a 119-112 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday to snap their two-game losing streak.
Kawhi Leonard continued his MVP-caliber play, scoring a season-high 36 points on 52% shooting in that game. He is currently shooting a career-best from the three, doing so at 40.2%.
Although the LA Clippers were able to come out of Minnesota with a win, Leonard will expect better consistency from his side. Here is what the two-time finals MVP had to say after the game:
We kind of turned it up in that third quarter. We needed a better fourth quarter, but I'm happy we got the win.
In the third quarter, the LA Clippers shot 54.5% from the floor. However, what truly gave the LA Clippers success after the break was their ability to rebound. They brought down 20 rebounds in the third quarter alone and held the Timberwolves to just five.
The LA Clippers will need to display the same amount of effort they showed during that third quarter for the full 48 minutes to knock off the Chicago Bulls.
Key Player - Patrick Beverly
Patrick Beverley returned to the LA Clippers lineup on Wednesday night after missing the previous eight games due to a knee injury.
Beverley's energy was crucial for the LA Clippers, although he only produced six points in 18 minutes. Here is what head coach Ty Lue had to say about the impact Beverley has had on the team:
Just seeing the way he plays, you know it's not about shot attempts or about scoring the basketball for him. It's about getting wins.
With Paul George still being sidelined with a foot injury, Beverley's energy is essential for the LA Clippers to finish their road trip against the Chicago Bulls on a high.
LA Clippers Predicted Lineup
G Reggie Jackson, G Patrick Beverley, F Kawhi Leonard, F Nicolas Batum, C Serge Ibaka.
Chicago Bulls Preview
The Chicago Bulls were on fire in their previous outing over the New Orleans Pelicans, which they won on Wednesday night. They knocked down a franchise-record 25 three-pointers on just 47 attempts in that game.
Here is what starting point guard Coby White had to say after the Bulls' impressive shooting performance:
We (were) due for a good team shooting night. We haven't been shooting the ball well as a team, especially at home.
According to STATS, Zach LaVine and Coby White became the first backcourt duo to knock down eight three-pointers apiece during the same game in NBA history.
The duo combined for 76 points, with LaVine scoring a season-high 46 points and White scoring 30.
Key Player - Coby White
The Chicago Bulls expect Zach LaVine to produce high-scoring outings night in and night out. If they consistently start to get efficient offensive production out of Coby White, they will likely be able to make a run at earning a playoff spot.
Before White's 30-point game on Wednesday, he was struggling from the field and lacked confidence. In his last five games, he was shooting just 35.9%.
Here is what his teammate Zach LaVine had to say about White's bounce-back performance in the victory over the Pelicans:
I'm very happy for Coby that he got back on track. He showed that confidence again.
White will need to continue his confidence on Friday night and have another strong scoring night to give the Chicago Bulls a chance at knocking off the LA Clippers.
Chicago Bulls Predicted Lineup
G Coby White, G Zach LaVine, F Denzel Valentine, F Patrick Williams, C Daniel Gafford.
Clippers vs Bulls Match Prediction
With Kawhi Leonard playing at such a high level and Patrick Beverley back in the lineup, the LA Clippers will have the edge on Friday night.
They will be able to lock down the backcourt of the Chicago Bulls and contain them from the three. The Clippers could finish off their two-game away trip 2-0 and continue to move closer to the LA Lakers in the standings.
According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index, the LA Clippers have a 68.6% chance of beating the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
Where to watch Clippers vs Bulls
Local coverage of the game will be available on NBC Sports Chicago and Fox Sports Prime Ticket. The game can also be live-streamed on the NBA League Pass.