Through 3 Quarters
The Chicago Bulls are just one quarter away from delivering their fans the win they’ve been expecting. It’s looking more and more like their high-powered offense is just too much for the New Orleans Pelicans as Chicago lead 92-75.
Shooting guard Zach LaVine has led the way so far for the Bulls, as he has shot 6-for-9 from beyond the arc and has recorded 26 points, five dimes and six rebounds. Small forward Brandon Ingram (19 points) and point guard Devonte’ Graham (18 points) have been the top scorers for New Orleans.
Here’s an interesting fact: Chicago also had a 17-point lead after the third quarter in the teams’ last meeting.
Who’s Playing
New Orleans @ Chicago
Current Records: New Orleans 0-1; Chicago 1-0
What to Know
The Chicago Bulls will look to defend their home court Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans at 8 p.m. ET. If the game is anything like Chicago’s 128-124 win from their previous meeting in March, the scorekeeper will be kept real busy.
The Bulls didn’t have too much breathing room in their matchup with the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, but they still walked away with a 94-88 victory. Among those leading the charge for Chicago was Zach LaVine, who had 34 points in addition to seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, it was all tied up 53-53 at halftime, but New Orleans was not quite the Philadelphia 76ers’ equal in the second half when they met on Wednesday. New Orleans has to be aching after a bruising 117-97 loss to Philadelphia. This contest was a close 53-53 at the break, but unfortunately for the Pelicans it sure didn’t stay that way. Jonas Valanciunas had a pretty forgettable game, playing for 29 minutes but putting up just nine points on 3-for-19 shooting.
Chicago’s win lifted them to 1-0 while New Orleans’ defeat dropped them down to 0-1. If the Bulls want to win, they will need to focus on stopping New Orleans’ Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who had 23 points along with five boards, and Devonte’ Graham, who had 18 points and five assists. We’ll see whether or not they are up to the challenge.
How To Watch
- When: Friday at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: United Center — Chicago, Illinois
- TV: Bally Sports – New Orleans
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $52.95
Odds
The Bulls are a solid 6.5-point favorite against the Pelicans, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Bulls as a 7-point favorite.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
Chicago and New Orleans both have six wins in their last 12 games.
- Mar 03, 2021 – Chicago 128 vs. New Orleans 124
- Feb 10, 2021 – Chicago 129 vs. New Orleans 116
- Feb 06, 2020 – New Orleans 125 vs. Chicago 119
- Jan 08, 2020 – New Orleans 123 vs. Chicago 108
- Feb 06, 2019 – New Orleans 125 vs. Chicago 120
- Nov 07, 2018 – New Orleans 107 vs. Chicago 98
- Jan 22, 2018 – New Orleans 132 vs. Chicago 128
- Nov 04, 2017 – New Orleans 96 vs. Chicago 90
- Apr 02, 2017 – Chicago 117 vs. New Orleans 110
- Jan 14, 2017 – Chicago 107 vs. New Orleans 99
- Apr 11, 2016 – Chicago 121 vs. New Orleans 116
- Dec 12, 2015 – Chicago 98 vs. New Orleans 94
Injury Report for Chicago
- Coby White: Out (Shoulder)
Injury Report for New Orleans
- Josh Hart: Out (Quadriceps)
- Daulton Hommes: Out (Ankle)
- Zion Williamson: Out (Foot)
