Chicago Bulls vs Los Angeles Clippers: Lineups, preview & prediction (February 3 2018)


(Photo credit: Keith Allison)

Avery Bradley and Tobias Harris, along with Boban Marjanovic, were sent to the Clippers as part of the blockbuster trade Monday that sent five-time All-Star Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons. For Bradley, he was reunited with coach Doc Rivers, under whom he played with the Boston Celtics in his first three seasons in the league from 2010-13 after being drafted 19th overall in 2010.

Harris slides into the power forward spot vacated by Griffin, but both players bring offensive versatility to the Clippers. Harris could slide to the three if Rivers wants to go big with Danilo Gallinari and DeAndre Jordan, while Bradley can play either guard position or even small forward when teamed with supersub Lou Williams and point guard Milos Teodosic.

Los Angeles (25-25) had only nine players in uniform for Tuesday night's 104-96 home loss to Portland. Williams scored 20 points off the bench, but was a ghastly five for 26 from the field as the Clippers shot 41.2 percent for the game and failed to recover from being outscored 30-16 in the third quarter.

Chicago (15-33) are in the middle of a three-game road swing and have lost five in a row after being run out of Portland by C. J. McCollum in a 124-108 defeat Wednesday night. McCollum scored 28 of his 50 points in the first quarter, personally outscoring the Bulls by nine as the Trail Blazers opened a 24-point lead after 12 minutes.

Like the Clippers, the Bulls have been busy ahead of the February 8 trade deadline and sent disgruntled forward Nikola Mirotic to the New Orleans Pelicans for center Omer Asik and guards Tony Allen and Jameer Nelson, plus a protected first-round pick. That pick would revert to the Pelicans if they draft fifth or higher in 2018 or eighth or higher in 2019. The pick is unprotected in 2020.

Rookie forward Lauri Markkanen is questionable for this game after not making the trip with the team to have his back examined. Point guard Kris Dunn also did not make the initial trip, but he is not expected to join the team for this road swing due to concussion symptoms.

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