GAME NIGHT FROM THE UNITED CENTER:
Memphis (6-14, 3-4 on the road) at Bulls (7-14, 3-7 at home)
TV: NBCSC: Neil Funk and Stacey King. 7PM.
RADIO: 670 The Score. Chuck Swirsky, Bill Wennington, and David Schuster. 6:45 pre.
LEADING SCORERS: Bulls: LaVine: 22 ppg. Memphis: Jackson: 15 ppg.
LEADING REBOUNDERS: Bulls: Carter: 9 per. Memphis: Valanciunas: 9 per
LEADING ASSISTS: Bulls: Satoransky: 5 per. Memphis: Jones: 4 per
Last Meeting: Bulls 110, Grizzlies 102
PREVIEW: The Bulls return home for the first time in over a week as they host the injury-plagued Memphis Grizzlies. Without budding star Ja Morant in the lineup, the Grizzlies need to make up for his loss by receiving balanced contributions from everyone, especially the bench. Memphis is in a major rebuilding phase but they do have some pieces with Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke, Dillon Brooks and others. Head Coach Taylor Jenkins is running a spread offense with heavy emphasis on shooting the three-ball. When Morant is on the floor the Grizzlies are a completely different looking team. This young man is going to be special for many years to come. He will be the face of the Memphis franchise; he's that good, and will only get better. It's a shame fans at the United Center will miss him (back spams) because he IS worth the price of admission. Clarke is sidelined with left oblique soreness. Valanciunas is questionable with an illness and Kyle Anderson is also questionable with right heel soreness.
The Bulls will once again attempt to win back to back games for the first time this season. In their victory over the Kings, Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen guided the Bulls to a road victory with each scoring 20 or more points in the same game for the first time this season. Tomas Satoransky continues to be solid and steady as does Wendell Carter Jr.
Join us for pre-post game coverage on Bulls TV and of course on 670 The Score and NBCSC.
24 SECONDS NBA NEWS AND NOTES:
San Antonio 135, Houston 133 OT: James Harden scored 50 points, going 24-24 from the foul line but it was the combination of DeMar DeRozan and Bryn Forbes who together tallied 48 points in a Spurs victory. The officials missed a dunk by Harden but the Rockets failed to challenge within the 30-second window allowed for a coach's review. A possible game-changer? We will never know.
Los Angeles Lakers 105, Denver 96: The CCI Game of the Night in the Associations. Two WC powerhouses in the "Mile High City." Anthony Davis with flu-like symptoms scored 13 of his 25 points in the third quarter. The Lakers go to 9-1 on the road, 18-3 overall. The Nuggets stand at 13-5, 8-3 at home.
Miami 121, Toronto 110 OT: Jimmy Butler scored Miami's first eight points in the extra period. Butler recorded a triple-double of 22 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in 41 minutes. Kyle Lowry returned to the Raps lineup after missing 11 straight games with a thumb injury and struggled, going 2-18 from the field. It was Toronto's first home loss in ten games. Miami improved to 15-5.
Dallas 118, New Orleans 97: The surprising Mavs now eight games over.500 while the Pels fell to nine under. Luka Doncic scored 15 of his 33 points in the third quarter. He also managed 18 rebounds.
Orlando 127, Washington 120: D.J. Augustin of the Magic with a wicked fourth quarter scoring 16 of his 24 points. Orlando's Markelle Fultz added a career-high 20 points. Washington's Thomas Bryant has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right foot. He will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
Detroit 127, Cleveland 94: The Cavs have hit the wall and fall to 5-15. Cleveland has lost 10 of its last 11 games.
Los Angeles Clippers 117, Portland 97: The Clippers improved to 13-1 at home. The WC Player of the Week, Carmelo Anthony was held to nine points and six rebounds.
Michigan State retired Draymond Green's jersey #23 during the Spartans-Duke game in East Lansing. Golden State owner Joe Lacob was in attendance along with Head Coach Steve Kerr and several teammates. The Warriors play in Chicago Friday.
Thanks for reading CCI. Reach out: cswirsky@bulls.com or Twitter @ctsbulls
Always a pleasure.