Rowan Kavner
CHICAGO – The defense comes in spurts.
Chris Paul and the Clippers know if they want any sort of consistency, the defense they displayed against Memphis on Friday has to continue against the Bulls on Sunday afternoon and the rest of the year.
“We’ve been saying it all year, it’s all about being consistent,” Paul said. “We have spurts like this where we defend. We’ve got to go into Chicago with the same mindset, don’t let this be a one-game thing.”
The Clippers held the Grizzlies to just 79 points and 37.9 percent shooting in a big win without Blake Griffin once again. They have the third-best net rating in the league, but they’re still trying to bring the defensive rating down to a more respectable number.
They hope they can carry that momentum from Memphis into Chicago against the Bulls, who shot 48.8 percent in the first matchup this season between the teams.
“It was a good win for us on a four game trip like this after losing a tough one in Houston the other night,” Paul said. “We’re going into Chicago on Sunday and then Minnesota. On road trips like this, we just try to get as many wins as possible.”
Tipoff: 10:00am PST
LAST TIME OUT
Clippers 97, Grizzlies 79 – A tie game at halftime got broke open with a 21-6 start to the third quarter for the Clippers. Chris Paul was once again huge against Memphis, going for 19 points and 13 rebounds, while DeAndre Jordan recorded his seventh straight game with at least 15 rebounds, bringing down 22 rebounds to go with 15 points.
Bulls 96, Timberwolves 89 – It was never out of reach all night for Minnesota, but the Bulls got the win in their second game without Derrick Rose (knee). Jimmy Butler scored 28 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to lead the way for Chicago, while Mike Dunleavy added 21 points. The Bulls had 32 more points in the paint than the Timberwolves.
NOTEWORTHY MATCHUP
DeAndre Jordan vs. Joakim Noah – It’s always going to be a battle when two of the top three vote getters for Defensive Player of the Year match up against each other. In the only matchup between the teams this season, both players finished with double-doubles and at least 16 rebounds apiece. That was before Jordan’s recent stretch of dominance, as he’s leading the NBA in the midst of a stretch of seven straight games with at least 15 rebounds.
TWO THINGS TO WATCH
Keeping The Streak? – History’s on the Clippers’ side in this one. As good as the Bulls have been recently, the Clippers have had their number on the road. The Bulls won the first matchup between these teams this season, but the Clippers have won four straight times in Chicago, with their last loss all the way back in December 2008.
Crawford Cruising – Jamal Crawford spent his first four seasons with the Bulls, and he gave them a tough time in the first matchup between this season, scoring a game-high 24 points. Crawford’s cruising once again, scoring at least 15 points in each of his last nine games overall and in all but one game this month. He’s also shot 50 percent or better in four of his last five games.
NOTES: The Bulls are the second-best rebounding team in the league … … Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau was an assistant for Doc Rivers in Boston from 2007-10 … Taj Gibson and Jimmy Butler combined for 44 points in the first matchup between the teams this season … The Bulls are top 10 in the league in second-chance points, while the Clippers are top 10 in the league in fewest allowed second-chance points … The Bulls had 12 more points in the paint in the first matchup this season … The Bulls are 1-1 since losing Derrick Rose to a knee injury …