The Chicago Bulls are looking to sustain some momentum down the stretch in their quest for the Eastern Conference's second seed and a Central Division title. Taking down a spiraling Detroit Pistons team in the Motor City on Saturday night would go a long way in establishing that momentum.
Projected Starting Lineups
Chicago Bulls (42-28)
G Aaron Brooks – 11.4 ppg, 3.0 apg
G Tony Snell – 6.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg
F Mike Dunleavy – 9.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg
F Pau Gasol – 18.3 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 1.95 bpg
C Joakim Noah – 7.6 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 4.7 apg
Detroit Pistons (24-44)
G Reggie Jackson –14.7 ppg, 7.9 apg, 4.6 rpg
G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – 12.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg
F Caron Butler – 5.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg
F Anthony Tolliver – 7.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg
C Andre Drummond – 13.0 ppg, 13.3 rpg
What to watch for:
Taj Gibson getting back in the swing of things
Gibson made his return for Chicago against Toronto on Friday after missing ten games with a sprained ankle. While he only chipped in six points in a limited ten minutes in the Bulls' 108-92 win, just his mere presence in the rotation is huge for an undermanned Chicago team that had previously lost five of its last six.
Can the Pistons turn the boat around?
Twelve games ago, Detroit was 23-33 and in the playoff mix in the muddled race for the Eastern Conference's 8th seed. Since then, the Pistons have lost 11 of 12 due to a mixture of cold shooting and inconsistency in the paint. While the playoffs appear to be a pipe dream at this moment, turning things around down the stretch would do wonders for the confidence of the team's young core.
Prediction: Bulls win 101-89
The Bulls are banged up, but they're visiting a struggling Pistons that will likely be without the dominating presence of Greg Monroe on the block due to injury. Look for Chicago to take advantage of that down low, outmuscling Detroit en route to a relatively easy win.
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