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The Chicago Bulls have hit some rough waters in recent times and will look to rectify that when they travel to face the high flying San Antonio Spurs. Join The Roar for live scores of this match from 12 midday (AEDT).
The Bulls have been missing their biggest star, Jimmy Butler, for some time now and it has led to more losses than they would care to think about.
In fact, with the post-season approaching and all the teams into their final 20 games, the Bulls have lost four of their last six.
Butler, who was averaging 22.4 points per game has been hard to cover for. His scoring and offensive production have been sorely missed, and even with the likes of Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol on court, they haven’t been able to lift the Bulls to victories.
Because of their recent streak, Chicago now sit eighth in the Eastern Conference, struggling to hold onto a provisional spot in the post-season. They are even with the ninth placed Detroit Pistons, and also have the Washington Wizards and Orlando Magic snapping at their heels.
The Spurs meanwhile, are one of only two teams across the whole league to have officially qualified for the play-offs. Currently holding a record of 54 wins and 10 losses, just 3.5 games back from the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference, they are also just one win away from confirming a home first-round final.
Tony Parker is expected to return to action for this clash against the Bulls, having sat out the last couple of matches with a toe injury. Manu Ginobli and Tony Duncan are also expected to play after sitting out their last match with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Spurs have only lost one of their last ten matches, against the Indiana Pacers, in what was quite a shock.
Whether Tony Parker is back or not for this game, the biggest problem for the Bulls will be combating the defensive presence of Tim Duncan. His organisation is second to none, so Derrick Rose’s creativity will be put to the test.
Being inter-conference rivals, the teams will only meet twice this year. In the first match, played in Chicago back in December, the Bulls got up by three points.
Prediction
With Butler missing, and given the Bulls’ recent form, it is hard to see them mounting much of a challenge.
Spurs by 9.
Be sure to join The Roar for live scores of this clash from 12 midday (AEDT) and don’t forget to leave your comments in the section below as the action unfolds.
Follow Scott on Twitter @sk_pryde