Bulls at Thunder
Russell Westbrook continues to do it all, complete with lobbying for a rebound to complete another triple-double. The All-Star guard has his sights on another solid contest when the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. Westbrook was a rebound short of a triple-double when he departed Friday’s 113-99 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves and his gesturing led to a rebound being awarded so he could finish with 29 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
The Bulls defeated the Thunder 108-105 on March 5, when Westbrook failed to get a triple-double with 43 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Chicago is struggling and has lost four of its last five games after suffering a 101-91 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. “It’s going to come down to how badly you want something,” Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. “The challenge for us is bounce back, bounce back.”
TV: 1 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE BULLS (40-27): Chicago has been shorthanded with guards Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose and forward Taj Butler sidelined, but that doesn’t rate as an excuse for letting a 19-point lead get away in the loss to Charlotte. The Bulls are fighting with Cleveland and Toronto for second place in the Eastern Conference and letting one slip away like that is frustrating for power forward Pau Gasol. “It’s about determination and how bad you want it,” Gasol told reporters. “I don’t care how tired you are. I might be tired, I might be sore. You can’t really think about those things.”
ABOUT THE THUNDER (36-29): Westbrook became the first player since Jason Kidd (13 in 2007-08) to notch at least eight triple-doubles in a season as he continues to carry the club with forward Kevin Durant (foot) sidelined. “He is just displaying his all-around game and doing it at a consistent level,” Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks told reporters. “It seems like every night, he is right at those numbers, and those are signs of a very special player.” Westbrook is annoyed at the amount of turnovers he’s committing after he had eight against the Timberwolves to raise his average to 4.2.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Chicago has lost four straight visits to Oklahoma City.
2. Thunder PF Serge Ibaka (knee) sat out against Charlotte and he is doubtful to play against the Bulls.
3. Bulls G Aaron Brooks is averaging 23 points over the last four contests.