Pelicans at Bulls
The Chicago Bulls return home for the first time since Nov. 18 without a healthy Derrick Rose as they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday. Rose was lost for the season with a knee injury during the six-game road trip that produced only one victory for the Bulls and ended with a 97-93 loss Saturday at Cleveland. The Pelicans have won five of their last seven, but former No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis suffered a non-displaced fracture in the left hand Sunday and his status is uncertain.
Chicago will try to build on a 5-0 mark on its home court with the next four in friendly surroundings, including games with Miami, Detroit and Milwaukee. New Orleans outscored New York 21-11 down the stretch for a 103-99 victory on Sunday as Ryan Anderson poured in 31 points off the bench. The Pelicans are averaging a little over 102 points and the Bulls have allowed 92.1 per contest – fourth-best in the league.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago
ABOUT THE PELICANS (8-8): New Orleans needs others to step up if Davis is out for a considerable amount of time and 6-9 Al-Farouq Aminu came through against New York with five points, five rebounds and a pair of steals in 15 minutes. Pelicans 7-0 center Jason Smith could get more minutes along with 6-9 reserve Lou Amundson. The Pelicans have plenty of options on the outside with 3-point ace Anderson along with guards Eric Gordon, Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans all average in double digits.
ABOUT THE BULLS (7-8): Chicago played without Rose all of last season and finished fifth in the Eastern Conference, so it will go to work trying to find ways to improve offensively. The Bulls average only 92.3 points, near the bottom of the league, and Luol Deng (18.2) and Carlos Boozer (15.7) are the only healthy players scoring more than 11 a game. The Bulls will need more production from 6-11 center Joakim Noah, who was 2-of-10 from the field against Cleveland on Saturday and is averaging only 8.8 points.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Chicago G Jimmy Butler, averaging 11.2 points, is getting closer to a return after missing six straight games with a toe injury.
2. New Orleans averages almost 10 steals, which puts it among the league’s best, after totaling 10 on Sunday.
3. The Bulls have beaten the New Orleans franchise nine of the previous 10 games, the only loss coming in November of last season.