NBA Thursday Preview February 21, 2013
NBA Thursday on TNT is offering up two incredible basketball games tonight. First, at 8 p.m. ET the Miami Heat will head to Chicago to take on the Bulls. Then at 10:30 p.m. ET the San Antonio Spurs will take on the Los Angeles Clippers. Both these games are top notch marquee games that are going to make tonight an exciting night for basketball. We have the previews for both games right here.
Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls
The Miami Heat are doing what the Heat do best. They are on a season high win streak and are beginning to really set them self a part from the rest of the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have had a rough month. Even though they are riding a win coming into this game they have yet to win two games in a row in February.
In order for LeBron James and the Heat to get their season high 9 wins in a row they are going to have to defeat the Bulls at home. The Heat have not beat the Bulls on the Road in the regular season in three years.
The reason the Heat struggle against the Bulls is because they do not seem to have an offensive answer for the Bulls defense. They average only 91 points against the bulls and have lost six of their last eight encounters with the Bulls.
The Bulls cannot sit back and assume that history will repeat itself, though as the Heat have come surging out of the break. James in particular is averaging over 30 points a game post break.
The Miami Heat are the favorites to win this game with a -4 point spread.
San Antonio Spurs versus Los Angeles Clippers
As Miami sets itself a part from the other teams in the Eastern Conference, the Spurs are doing the same out west. They have the best win-loss percentage in the NBA. The other teams in the West, Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Clippers, are trying to become the biggest threats to the Spurs Championship hopes. Tonight the Clippers will try and prove that they are the team that may stifle the Spurs run at the Championship.
Both the Spurs and the Clippers are coming into this game on a 4 game winning streak. The Spurs, though, are 9-1 on their last 10 compared to the Clipper 6-4 on their last ten ball games.
The Clippers may have a historical edge. Blake Griffin often has great games against the Spurs when playing in LA. In their last five encounters, including one last post season, the All-Star forward has averaged 24.8 points and 12.8 rebounds.
The Clippers have the edge according to the point spread as well, which is at -3.5 points.
