NBA on Sling TV: LA Lakers at Chicago Bulls
Lakers vs. Bulls (8pm ET Sunday, ESPN)
The Lakers on Friday lost their fourth game in a row, this time falling 119-113 to the San Antonio Spurs, despite having three players score 20 or more points. Kobe Bryant led the way, as is his custom, with 25 points on 10-of-25 shooting. Meanwhile, youngsters Lou Williams and Jordan Clark combined needed fewer shots (23) to score 21 and 20, respectively. Bryant dislocated his finger late in the fourth quarter but had it popped back in (watch below), and x-rays showed no fracture. The Lakers are now 11-45 and in second place in the Ben Simmons Sweepstakes.
On Friday, a badly depleted Bulls team managed to knock off the mighty Raptors, owners of the sixth-best record in the NBA: 116-106. The upset came thanks largely to Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan making just six of 21 shots while Chicago’s erstwhile superstar Derrick Rose was a white hot 12-of-20 for 26 points. It was Chicago’s first win since guard Jimmy Butler went down February 5 against Denver with an injury to his left knee. Now 28-26 and barely hanging onto a playoff spot, the Bulls must continue on without Butler, Nikola Mirotic and Joakim Noah. That win over Toronto was huge.
Watch the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Chicago Bulls at 8pm ET Suday on ESPN.
All stats courtesy ESPN and Basketball Reference.