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The Chicago Bulls will square off against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center on Tuesday night in a 2021-22 NBA season game.
Both teams have registered a win in their previous fixtures, with the Chicago Bulls holding down the Los Angeles Lakers to a 121-103 win.
The Portland Trail Blazers are yet to find their form this season. They have a home stretch of four games, in which they have beaten the Toronto Raptors 118-113 with CJ McCollum going for 29 points. They now face one of the top-performing teams of the season so far.
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The Chicago Bulls are now second in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 10-4, while the Portland Trail Blazers are ninth in the Western Conference with a record of 7-8.
Match Details
Fixture: Chicago Bulls vs Portland Trail Blazers | 2021-22 NBA season
Date & Time: Wednesday, November 17th; 10:00 PM ET (Thursday, November 18th; 8:30 AM IST)
Venue: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Chicago Bulls Preview
Chicago Bulls’ trio of DeMar DeRozan (38 pts), Lonzo Ball (27pts), and Zach Lavine (26 pts) balled out against the Lakers in their last match. They took advantage of the Lakers’ poor 3rd quarter performance and made the possibility of a come-back very bleak.
Artūras Karnišovas, the Chicago Bulls’ vice president of basketball operations, must take credit for his off-season moves. He has built a roster that is looking so compatible that they are a threat to even dismantle the super-teams in Brooklyn and Los Angeles.
The Bulls have also been defensively strong, which could add to the Blazers' main threat Damian Lillard’s shooting troubles, who has been shooting 38.7 from the field. Versatile guard Alex Caruso is second in the league in steals (35), even though he is coming off the bench.
Key Player – DeMar DeRozan
All-star caliber DeMar DeRozan has made a great start to his Chicago Bulls tenure. He leads the side in scoring with an average of 26.9 points per game. He also leads the league in made free throws with 96 in 110 attempts.
DeRozan has turned back the clock with his style of play this season, with some newfound confidence, after a few average seasons with the San Antonio Spurs.
Chicago Bulls Predicted Lineup
G – Lonzo Ball | G – DeMar DeRozan | F - DeMar DeRozan | F – Alex Caruso | C – Tony Bradley
Portland Trail Blazers Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers will have to be at their aggressive best if they are to get a positive result on Tuesday night.
Damian Lillard’s troubles from the deep have so far been compensated by McCollum’s mid-range and drive-in game, but the Portland Trail Blazers' talisman is expected to come back strong in the upcoming run of fixtures. Even with his low shooting percentage, Lillard has averaged 20.1 points per game.
The Portland Trail Blazers’ overall team play has been good, as they have had convincing wins against the Clippers, the Lakers, and the Suns this season. A few tweaks, fixes, and defensive intensity will keep them in the mix for the playoffs.
In this game, the Blazers will have to watch out for the Chicago Bulls’ shooting from deep. The Bulls are a serious threat from behind the arc, as was illustrated in the game against the Lakers.
Jusuf Nurkic is averaging a double-double with 10.6 points and 11.1 rebounds and will be crucial to their offense. Norman Powell’s shooting contribution will also be instrumental in getting things going for the Blazers against the talented Chicago Bulls.
Key Player – Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard’s numbers against the Toronto Raptors showed signs of revival. He scored 24 points and got his teammates more involved on offense, dishing out 8 dimes. A competitor like him is meant to bounce back sooner or later and the Chicago Bulls’ game plan will involve limiting his impact on the game.
Dame holds the fifth spot in assists leaders with 8.1 assists per game, facilitating the Portland Trail Blazers offense with dexterity.
Portland Trail Blazers Predicted Lineup
G – Damian Lillard | G – CJ McCollum| F – Norman Powell| F – Robert Covington | C – Jusuf Nurkic
Bulls vs Trail Blazers Match Prediction
The performances of both the Chicago Bulls and the Portland Trail Blazers so far suggest that the Bulls are the better team and will be the dominant force in the fixture. However, nothing comes easy in this league. Not letting McCollum and Lillard be impactful will be crucial for the Chicago Bulls.
The Chicago Bulls have had great performances in the second halves of games this season. Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso could put the clamps on defense and force turnovers, which could end up deciding the momentum of the game.
If players other than the duo of Lillard and McCollum do not step up for the Blazers, the Chicago Bulls are the favorites to walk away with a win in this fixture.
Where to watch Bulls vs Trail Blazers
The Chicago Bulls vs. Portland Trail Blazers will be streamed on NBC Sports Chicago and NBC Sports Northwest. NBA League Pass will also stream the game between the Chicago Bulls and the Portland Trail Blazers.
