L.A. Clippers Status Check:
Record: 19-28
Division: 7-4
Conference: 13-21
Home Record: 16-13
Last 10 Games: 6-4
Streak: 2 wins
Last game: Won 105-98 vs. Bucks
PPG: 99.5 (12th)
Opponents PPG: 101.4 (19th)
Offensive Rating: 107.0 (16th)
Defensive Rating: 109.0 (20th)
Pace: 92.4 (14th)
Effective Field Goal Percentage: .499 (13th)
Turnover Percentage: .149 (28th)
Defensive Rebound Percentage: .743 (15th)
Offensive Rebound Percentage: .303 (3rd)
Free Throws Per Field Goal Attempt: .236 (11th)
Opp. eFG%: .502 (16th)
Opp. TO%: .129 (23rd)
Opp. FT/FGA: .265 (27th)
Leading scorer: Eric Gordon (24.1)
Stats from Basketball-Reference.com.
Clippers Injury Report:
Eric Gordon: Sprained right wrist / bone chip (questionable)
Chris Kaman: Bone bruise / sprained left ankle (out indefinitely)
Craig Smith: Herniated disc (out indefinitely)
Overview:
Back on December 18, the Bulls played their first game without the injured Joakim Noah, at home against the Clippers.
The game ended when Rose missed a free throw that would have tied the game with 0.8 seconds left.
In that game, rookie Blake Griffin dominated the Bulls with 29 points and 12 rebounds. And Taj Gibson has plans to contain Griffin tonight.
Said Gibson: “I’m going to try and get the block or take a foul. Like coach Thibodeau says, nothing easy.”
Not much comes easy against the Bulls these days. They still rank 1st in Defensive Rating (99.2).
Unfortunately, the Bulls are merely 10-10 outside of the Windy City. Meanwhile, the Clips have won nine in a row at home, a streak that includes victories over the Heat, Lakers and Nuggets.
The last time the Clippers won 10 straight at home? It was between December 5, 1975 and January 6, 1976. When the frachise was located in Buffalo. And they were called the Braves.
Not only would the Clips like to make team history, they’d like to win their last home game before starting a league-high 11-game road trip.
To win, the Bulls need to contain Griffin, cool of Randy Foye (who’s been scoring 19.0 PPG in the absence of the injured Eric Gordon), and keep the Clippers away from the offensive glass (the one area in which they are an elite team).
Sounds like Gibson will get a lot of minutes tonight against Griffin- I am guessing Boozer will then guard the Clippers center, DeAndre Jordan. Randy Foye aside, Clips don’t have much offense from the wing without Gordon, so this could be a game where Korver can get lots of minutes- he should be able to contain Gomes or Rasual Butler.
VDN had his team ready to play us in Chicago and beat us good; we have something to prove tonight.
By the way, I would be very interested to see the FT% stats for Rose, since that Clipper game.
At a glance, he is drastically improved, aka rock steady.
Okay, rock steady just buzzed in my head and thanks to the internet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPJz3syNbtE
(Way to create the easiest dance in history…)
inkybreath — I just crunched the numbers: Rose is 140-for-160 from the line since the Clippers game. That’s 87.5 percent.
So…you were absolutey right.
great #’s on derricks FT%!
hey matt, you might want to check out this article: http://nba.fanhouse.com/2011/01/31/the-works-all-star-game-alternatives/?icid=nba|pos1|the-works-how-to-fix-the-all-star-game
it describes how the all-star game has gotten stale and a few ways to spice things up. for years, i have wished for a 1 on 1 tournament or something more personal. talk about drama- can you imagine a kobe vs. lebron finals matchup?! now that would be exciting to watch!
Not to mention that what the NHL did this year is tailor-made for b-ball…
It would be quite awesome to have captains pick sides …
If I see Cheryl Miller walk onto the All-Star game stage with a microphone, it will get ugly.
For one thing, they need a real emcee, a gifted, crowd/audience motivating character to hold the focus.
It was so easy to hate Reggie Miller and she has made it easy to just disregard the whole family.
agreed. cheryl miller needs to finish her sex-change.
maybe they should get ryan seacrest lol