Bulls at Spurs
San Antonio returned from its annual Rodeo Road Trip last season, got hot and rolled to an NBA title. The Spurs are looking to repeat that run as they put a four-game run on the line at home against Chicago on Sunday. After going 2-5 to begin the voyage - ensuring its first losing mark in 13 Rodeo Road Trips - San Antonio won the last two games before coming home to rout Sacramento and then top Denver 120-111 on Friday, moving to within 3 1/2 games of third place in the West entering Saturday.
The banged-up Bulls ran out of steam in the opener of a two-game road swing Friday at Indiana, dropping a 98-84 decision to the surging Pacers. Pau Gasol scored 17 points and rookie Doug McDermott emerged off the bench for a career-high 16 but Chicago was outscored by 14 points in the fourth quarter to lose its second straight on the road and fall to 19-11 away from home overall. Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson, three double-digit scorers all out with injuries, were each present in Chicago's 104-81 rout of San Antonio at home on Jan. 22.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE BULLS (39-24): McDermott figures to get more of a chance to prove himself amid an otherwise lackluster rookie campaign, and he has indicated he's mentally ready for the challenge. "Today, I took a deep breath and just went out there and played basketball," he said Friday after acknowledging he had been pressing earlier on when given opportunities. The Creighton product chucked up 17 shots in 16 minutes while producing his first double-digit scoring effort since Nov. 4.
ABOUT THE SPURS (38-23): Tony Parker recently opened up about the lingering effects of a hamstring injury that caused him to miss several games in December and January, but he has looked his steady self since returning home from the road trip. Parker had 24 points and seven assists in the win over Denver, leading the Spurs to their best offensive output since Dec. 22, and is 18-for-29 from the floor in two games this month. The six-time All-Star has enjoyed a remarkable uptick in performance at home this season, averaging nearly three points more than on the road while shooting nearly eight percentage points better (50.9 percent compared to 42.4 percent).
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Spurs SF Kawhi Leonard is averaging 21.3 points on 58.3 percent shooting over the course of the four-game winning streak.
2. Bulls G Aaron Brooks is 4-of-19 from the floor in two games since scoring 22 points in a win at Washington on Tuesday.
3. San Antonio has scored at least 100 points in four straight games, tying its longest run of the season.