Today, the Clippers faced off against the Bulls at home in a back-to-back game. Zubac and Leonard were out for the Clippers, while Dosunmu and White were sidelined for the Bulls. The Clippers' starting lineup featured Powell, Little Jones, Bamba, Dunn, and Harden; the Bulls started with LaVine, Pau Gasol, Vucevic, Kidi, and Ball.
In the first quarter, after the Clippers scored the initial two points, the Bulls responded with an 8-0 run, which was halted by a three-pointer from Bamba. However, after falling behind 10-5, Coach Lue called a timeout. Upon resuming play, both teams exchanged leads, with Harden hitting a three-pointer and LaVine showcasing a dunk, as the Bulls maintained their lead. The Clippers struggled to score, with only Bamba and Harden contributing points. Harden hit two consecutive three-pointers and drew a foul on a drive, converting the free throw, but the Bulls were able to respond with their own three-pointers. The first quarter concluded with the Clippers trailing 18-25, down by seven points.
During the second quarter, with both teams rotating their lineups, Powell returned to score, leading the Clippers on an 8-2 run to close the gap to just one point, prompting the Bulls to call a timeout. However, following the timeout, the Bulls' offense continued to struggle, allowing Mann to execute an alley-oop dunk and Porter to counter with a slam, resulting in a 14-2 run that put the Clippers up by five points. Smith provided some relief with a putback basket, followed by another alley-oop dunk from Mann. The Bulls attempted to draw fouls and shoot free throws, but Harden re-entered the game, and both teams engaged in a three-point shooting contest. Despite the Bulls challenging a shooting foul on Powell and failing, Kidi and LaVine hit back-to-back threes to regain the lead. Both teams engaged in a tough battle, with the Clippers lacking height and struggling with rebounds, but Coffey and Powell's consecutive scores helped the team reclaim the lead. Kidi and Ball combined for five points to stem the bleeding, and the half ended with the Clippers leading 50-48, up by two points.
In the third quarter, Bamba opened with an outside three-pointer and an inside putback dunk, scoring five points in quick succession, while the Bulls also had multiple players contribute to keep the score close. LaVine's two three-pointers forced the Clippers to call a timeout. After the break, LaVine delivered another dunk, and Kidi added a mid-range jumper, propelling the Bulls to a nine-point lead. Powell finally stopped the bleeding with a three-pointer, and Harden executed a Euro step move, but it was LaVine who went on a scoring spree, extending the lead as the Clippers fell into a scoring drought. Entering the timeout, the score stood at 73-62. Returning to the game, Harden drew a foul and made his free throws, but he received a Flagrant Foul 1 for elbowing an opponent on defense. The Bulls capitalized with a 28-7 run, nearly doubling their lead to 20 points. The third quarter concluded with the Clippers trailing 66-84, down by 18 points.
In the fourth quarter, both teams initially struggled to score, engaging in a back-and-forth battle. The Clippers successfully challenged a foul call on Vucevic. Powell began to find his rhythm, scoring seven points in a row, while LaVine countered with consecutive free throws. Powell continued to hit threes, reducing the deficit to 80-93 and forcing the Bulls to call a timeout. Following the timeout, Harden assisted Brown on a dunk, Vucevic scored with a hook shot, and LaVine hit another three-pointer, restoring the Bulls' lead to 14 points. Harden then assisted Little Jones on a 2+1 play, and after LaVine drew a three-point foul, the Bulls committed a fast-break foul, awarding the Clippers two free throws and a possession, resulting in a five-point swing in a single possession. However, the referees awarded the Bulls more free throws, widening the gap back to double digits. The Clippers missed several shots, and LaVine sealed the game with another three-pointer, prompting the Clippers to call a timeout and concede defeat.
Ultimately, the Clippers suffered a 99-112 loss at home to the Bulls. Let's take a closer look at the individual performances of the players!
Harden, frustrated by the loss, committed a malicious elbow strike.
In the first quarter, playing all 12 minutes, Harden shot 3-of-9 from the field, 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line, accumulating 11 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block.
In the second quarter, affected by fatigue from playing back-to-back games, he scored only 2 points. At halftime, he had shot 4-of-12 from the field, 3-of-9 from three-point range, and 2-of-2 from the charity stripe, totaling 13 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
The Clippers lost the third quarter by 20 points, and Harden's frustration boiled over. He received a Flagrant Foul 1 for an unusual elbow to an opponent on defense. In the fourth quarter, lacking the energy to attack, he focused on passing.
For the entire game, Harden played 36 minutes, shooting 5-of-17 from the field, 3-of-13 from three-point range, and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, finishing with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
LaVine exploded for 15 points in a single quarter, overwhelming the Clippers.
In the first half, LaVine scored only 9 points and grabbed 2 rebounds. However, the turning point of the game occurred in the third quarter, where he tallied 15 points through a combination of drives and outside shooting. His scoring output was just one point shy of the entire Clippers team in that quarter, completely dominating the opposition.
In the fourth quarter, as Powell cut the deficit with consecutive points, LaVine relied on free throws and threes to stabilize the situation for the Bulls, ultimately sealing the game with another three-pointer.
For the game, LaVine played 34 minutes, shooting 11-of-21 from the field, 5-of-12 from three-point range, and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line, amassing 35 points and 3 rebounds.
Powell awoke in the fourth quarter.
Powell scored no points in the first quarter, going 0-of-3 from the field. In the second quarter, he adjusted his game, shooting 4-of-4 and contributing 10 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists at halftime.
In the third quarter, he managed only 3 points, but he awoke in the fourth, scoring 12 points in the first half of the quarter to keep the Clippers alive. Unfortunately, the large deficit from the third quarter proved too much to overcome.
For the entire game, Powell played 38 minutes, shooting 9-of-22 from the field, 3-of-10 from three-point range, and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line, scoring an empty 27 points with 2 rebounds and 2 assists.