LA the Clippers (34-32) beat Chicago Bulls (27-40) 119-108 at home on Friday, March 13, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Clippers struck first, taking the opening quarter 33-28 and a 5-point lead after one. The Clippers kept the pressure on with a 30-29 second quarter, carrying a 6-point lead into halftime.
The Clippers won the third 29-28 to create some separation, taking a 7-point lead into the fourth. The Clippers took the fourth 27-23; the Clippers finished the job for a 119-108 regulation win.
What decided it
The Clippers took better care of the ball, turning it over on 5.9% of possessions compared with 12.8% for the Bulls. The Clippers made 18.8 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 12.6 for the Bulls. Those extra possessions were crucial.
At roughly 102 possessions per team, the Clippers produced 116.5 points per 100 possessions to 105.7 for the Bulls.
Who made the difference
Josh Giddey was the game's biggest individual force for CHI: 20 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast on 8-20 shooting. His Game Score of 19.8 led everyone. His team was -1 with him on the floor.
Bennedict Mathurin led the Clippers with 26 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast on 10-19 shooting, good for a 18.5 Game Score.
Matas Buzelis (18 pts, 11 reb, 2 ast) and Josh Giddey (20 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Clippers about a 85% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Chicago Bulls lead 2-1.
The Clippers are now 34-32, and the Bulls are 27-40. The Clippers last five before this game: W-L-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.