On January 20th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season will continue with the Clippers playing back-to-back at home against the Bulls.
The Clippers have been in hot form recently, defeating their city rivals the Lakers in the previous game to secure a four-game winning streak. In the game against the Lakers, the Clippers dominated both offensively and defensively, with Harden scoring 21 points and 12 assists, Zubac scoring 21 points and grabbing 19 rebounds to suppress Davis, and Leonard also contributing 19 points, leading the team to an easy victory. This impressive performance has brought the Clippers' record to 24 wins and 17 losses, placing them fifth in the Western Conference with a 1.5-game lead.
For safety reasons, Leonard is still not participating in back-to-back games. This season, the Clippers have been very strong defensively, averaging only 106.5 points conceded, making them the third-least conceding team in the league. Although their offensive threat is not particularly significant, they rely on defense to drive offense, which has kept them among the top teams in the West. Harden is the key to the team's victories, with a chance to be reselected for the All-Star team. The progress of Powell and Zubac is also evident, and the team is currently in high spirits, with the opportunity to extend their winning streak.
The Bulls are also playing back-to-back, having suffered a 102-113 defeat to the Trail Blazers in Portland in their previous game, resulting in a five-game losing streak. This shows that the Bulls are in poor form, only managing to hit eight three-pointers throughout the game against the Blazers. LaVine scored 27 points and 5 assists, while Vucevic contributed 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists, but other players were not in good form. After the five consecutive losses, the Bulls' record stands at 18 wins and 25 losses, dropping to tenth place in the Eastern Conference.
This season, the Bulls have a strong offense but weak defense, averaging the fifth-most points in the league with 117.2 points but conceding 120.5 points. Their biggest reliance on offense is the three-pointer, but unfortunately, the team has had poor shooting recently, leading to continuous losses. In terms of the lineup, although LaVine is embroiled in trade rumors, he can still contribute 23.7 points, and his recent performances have attracted the attention of some teams. Additionally, Vucevic has made contributions of 20+10.
This is the first meeting between the two teams this season, but in the past two seasons, the Clippers have always double-killed the Bulls, giving them a clear psychological advantage. With the recent states of the two teams being completely opposite, the Clippers still have the opportunity to extend their winning streak at home.