Bulls-Clippers: Highlights, Score and Recap

The action got underway Saturday night when the Chicago Bulls opened up game three of their Circus Trip for a matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Next: Tale of Two Bigs: Portis and Felicio

The team’s west coast trip to the Staples Center didn’t come without its share of early hype.

Long before tipoff, an Instagram exchange between Jimmy Butler and DeAndre Jordan ignited some friendly pre-game trash talking between friends.

The 2016 Rio Olympians went back and forth sharing a few pictures only to stop as game time neared.

Both teams set out to impress from the start. The Clippers have been making the case that they are the NBA’s hottest team and looked to follow suit, while the Bulls sought to extend their win streak to five games.

The return of Rajon Rondo also garnered some attention as the Bulls backcourt looked to faceoff against the likes of Chris Paul and J.J. Redick.

Getting off to an early hot start was the Chicago Bulls. They shot the ball well from the field and looked to edge out the Clippers early. The key to the Bulls’ success this season is often predicated in large part by the squad’s ability to get off to good starts.

Namely, Dwyane Wade was the first player to score double digits in the contest. His shooting from deep allowed the Bulls to lead by as many as 10 during the first quarter. Wade continues to stretch the floor all the while proving his doubters wrong.

Butler continued to buckets. What else can I say?

Taj Gibson added to the momentum with some offensive of his own to keep the opponent’s big men busy. In doing so, Blake Griffin and Jordan struggled to make an impact early on.

Griffin all but fell silent in the face of adversity. He earned 16 points to end the first half after a cold start.

Butler hit a buzzer beater for the second time during the Bulls’ circus trip this year to end the first quarter on a high note.

The Bulls tried to savor the momentum at the start of the third quarter, at which time they led 52-47.

Highlights

Wade continued to prove his doubters wrong by connecting from long range early on to distance the Bulls from the Clippers. He closed out the game with a team high of 28 points.

Bench production was a huge factor in the contest. The Bulls would fall short in this category by allowing Marreese Speights to get into a rhythm and score 16 points.

When the Bulls were physical on defense, they truly got after their opponents.

When the help subsided and communication faltered, the Bulls’ momentum began to shift.

Down the stretch, the Clippers proved to be too much for the Bulls to handle.

Isaiah Canaan would give Chicago one last hope to tie it up, but they couldn’t get the stops when they needed it. Plus, a questionable call in the game’s final minutes quieted the Bulls’ hopes of rallying to claim a victory that got away from them.

The Bulls fell short in a 102-95 loss to the Clippers.

What’s next for the Bulls?

The Chicago Bulls look to turn the page Sunday night when they meet the Los Angeles for game four of their Circus Trip.