Oklahoma City Thunder vs Chicago Bulls: Match preview and predictions - 25th February 2020
Match details
Fixture: Oklahoma City Thunder vs Chicago Bulls
Date & Time: Tuesday, 25th February 2020, 8:00 PM ET
Venue: United Center, Chicago, IL
Last game result
Oklahoma City Thunder (35-22): 131-103 win against the San Antonio Spurs (23rd Feb, Sunday)
Chicago Bulls (20-38): 126-117 win against the Washington Wizards (23rd Feb, Sunday)
OKC Thunder preview
The Oklahoma City Thunder have come a long way from their 5-10 start to the season and have since proven that no flukes were involved in their recent string of positive results. OKC have the 5th best shooting accuracy in the league coupled with the 9th best defensive rating. They are very well-rounded and are genuinely one of the most fun teams to watch in the league.
Billy Donovan's men have also come off the blocks with great intensity following the All-Star break and have recorded comfortable wins over the likes of Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs. They will most certainly be looking to add to that tally in Chicago.
Key player - Chris Paul
Chris Paul continues to perform strongly in what seems to be a renaissance year of sorts for the point god who almost had a triple-double in his last outing for the Thunder. Paul was also the difference maker for the franchise the last time they squared off with the Bulls with his 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. You can expect him to record similar numbers in the upcoming match-up.
OKC predicted lineup:
Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, Danilo Gallinari, Steven Adams
Chicago Bulls preview
The Bulls managed to end their 8-game losing streak by dispatching another struggling team in the form of Washington Wizards. Much was expected of the franchise at the beginning of the franchise but Zach LaVine's exploits haven't been enough to help the Bulls in mustering together a run for one of the playoff seeds.
The Bulls have been great at effecting turnovers and rank in the top 15 in the league in terms of defensive ratings. However, their offense has been far too inconsistent to eke out wins. Therefore, while they still have a chance to make the playoffs numerically, Bulls fans can expect the team to be in the lottery come the end of the season.
Key player - Zach LaVine
The only consistent performer on the Bulls' roster, Zach LaVine has been tearing it apart this term. The two-time Dunk Contest Champion has been averaging 25.2 points, 4.8 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game this season. He was also the most instrumental player for the last time around in this fixture when his 39-point effort couldn't drag Chicago across the finish line.
Bulls predicted lineup:
Ryan Arcidiacono, Zach LaVine, Tomas Satoransky, Thaddeus Young, Daniel Gafford
Thunder vs Bulls match prediction
OKC managed to overcome a 26-point deficit to beat the Bulls the last time the two franchises faced off at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma. However, given the fact that the Thunder are in the ascendancy and that Chicago has been struggling of late, expect this to be a one-sided affair with Chris Paul and co. collecting the win.
Where to watch Thunder vs Bulls
Local telecast of the game can be caught on FOX Sports Oklahoma and NBC Sports Chicago. You can also live stream the game via the NBA League Pass.