Bulls at Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers’ internal issues are not spilling over to the product on the court, and the latest winning streak is at three in a row. The Clippers will try to make it four straight and 15 of 18 without Blake Griffin when they host the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.
Griffin is expected be out at least a month longer after breaking a bone in his hand during an altercation with a member of the team’s staff, but Los Angeles is filling the gap any way it can. Lance Stephenson got a rare chance to step up and delivered with 16 points in a 105-93 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. The Bulls took advantage of the Lakers the previous night with a 114-91 triumph in the opener of a seven-game road trip. “I think we played extremely well, played together, rebounded the ball well,” Chicago guard Jimmy Butler told reporters. “We just gave the ball to the open guy and were making shots. Guys were spacing the floor well. The right play was to make the pass and they made the shot.”
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE BULLS (26-19): Butler was named as Chicago’s lone All-Star Game representative before Thursday’s game against the Lakers and showed why with 26 points, 10 assists and four steals. “We are putting the ball in his hands a lot, not just in isolation situations, but also we're putting him in a lot of ball screens,” Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg told reporters. “And he's just making the right play and the right read, he's continuing to get better in that role." Butler was limited to 14 points on 4-of-14 shooting at home against the Clippers on Dec. 10, but the Bulls pulled out an 83-80 triumph.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (31-16): Stephenson has been an afterthought on the bench for most of the season but got a chance on Friday with Griffin out and Paul Pierce taking the day off to get some rest. The former Indiana Pacers star went 6-of-7 from the field in 22 minutes off the bench – his longest stint and highest point total since posting 19 points in 28 minutes against the Pacers on Dec. 2. Stephenson’s big game was part of a 56-point effort from the reserves.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Clippers G J.J. Redick, who shoots 47.7 percent from 3-point range on the season, is 3-of-12 from behind the arc the last two games.
2. Bulls C and All-Star snub Pau Gasol has recorded four straight double-doubles.
3. Chicago earned a 105-89 win in its trip to Los Angeles last season.