Grizzlies @ Bulls Preview
Both the Chicago Bulls and the Memphis Grizzlies looked to be in trouble at the beginning of the year.
Chicago had their #TheReturn ruined thanks to another injury and things looked so bad management even traded away a player with the apparent hope of tanking.
The Grizzlies had the league’s most disappointing start to the season, considering their talent and their tournament run last year. Most expected them to be better, but they appeared to be worse.
Now both these teams look as though they are poised for big post seasons.
The Bulls will be looking for their 11th victory out of 13 games against the Grizzlies tonight, and they are No.4 in the Eastern Conference. They are hot on the heels of the Toronto Raptors and the No. 3 spot in the division as well.
The Grizzlies success has started much more recently than the Bulls. They are 7-3 on their last ten and are on the verge of picking up a seed in the Western Conference with a .567 winning percentage and just one game away from the No. 8 seed.
Combined, the Bulls and Grizzlies were 25-35 in the first two months of the season. Since then they have gone 43-18 (stat courtesy of NBA.com).
The Bulls have always been known for their defense, but they have picked it up on the other side of the ball recently. They have won five consecutive home games by an average margin of 19.6 points. Eight different Bulls players have scored 19 or more points in their 10-2 stretch. In other words, the Bulls have developed a balanced offensive strategy that is a force to be reckoned with.
Memphis will be trying to bounce back from a recently loss to the Brooklyn Nets, 103-94. The loss would have been worse if the Grizzlies had not surged in the final quarter.
The Bulls are the –2 point favorites to win this game according to the spread. The game starts at 7:05 p.m. ET and you can watch the game on ESPN.
