Los Angeles Clippers vs. Chicago Bulls: Postgame Grades and Analysis
Led by Chris Paul's 28 points and 12 assists, the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Chicago Bulls 96-86 Sunday afternoon at the United Center.
Chicago was led by rookie Nikola Mirotic's career-high 29 points. However, it was unable to overcome injuries to Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson and, midway through the game, Jimmy Butler.
The Clippers, meanwhile, pulled away thanks to a stifling defensive effort in the first and fourth quarters that held the Bulls to just 31 percent shooting from the floor.
| Chris Paul | A+ |
| DeAndre Jordan | A- |
| Jamal Crawford | B- |
| Spencer Hawes | B |
| Rest of Team | C+ |
| Pau Gasol | D |
| Joakim Noah | B+ |
| Nikola Mirotic | A |
| Aaron Brooks | C- |
| Rest of Team | C+ |
Los Angeles Clippers
Chris Paul: A+
Finishing with 28 points on 12-of-19 shooting, Chris Paul carried the Clippers offense during L.A.'s hot start. He opened the game with eight point and two assists and subsequently continued to set the tone for Los Angeles as both a scorer and a facilitator.
In classic fashion, he dished out 12 assists and turned the ball over just once. However, he also exhibited the kind of confidence as a shooter that fans expect more often. Leaning on his mid-range pull-up jumper, Paul consistently carved up Chicago's defense.
DeAndre Jordan: A-
DeAndre Jordan is a rebounding machine.
Leading the league in the statistical category, Jordan logged his eight consecutive 15-board game by halftime. His 17 before the break were a league high this season. He finished with 26.
However, beyond his activity on the glass, Jordan's night was fairly quiet. He played a big role in creating the stifling defense that the team opened up with but did little to help on the offensive end as a scorer. He scored just nine points, taking just three shots. He did, however, free up Paul on a number of possessions with on-ball screens, leading to Paul's strong shooting display.
Jamal Crawford: B-
Jamal Crawford struggled mightily out of the gate, missing all of his first seven attempts. It wasn't until the third quarter when he finally got a shot to fall, ultimately finishing the game with 16 points on 6-of-18 shooting.
His offensive struggles—in tandem with the rest of the second unit's expected poor play—created the atmosphere for Chicago to fight back after L.A.'s starters established a solid lead.
Spencer Hawes: B
Spencer Hawes turned in one of his most complete games of the season on Sunday, posting 14 points and nine rebounds.
He shot the ball well, sinking two from deep and a handful from mid-range. He was active inside too, fighting for position on offense and on the boards.
He also logged three blocks, looking solid on the defensive end as well.
Overall, Hawes wasn't Griffin, but he enjoyed his best all-around contest as a fill-in to date.
Rest of Team: C+
Once again, the Clippers' "other guys" turned in a forgettable performance. J.J. Redick scored 12 while Matt Barnes logged four blocks in the starting lineup, but the bench was expectedly awful.
Outside of Crawford, the bench players combined for just 11 points. Though Glen Davis and Hedo Turkoglu went 2-of-3 from the floor, both looked defenseless against Chicago's Mirotic-led second unit.
Chicago Bulls
Pau Gasol: D
Pau Gasol headlined the Bulls' rough first-quarter offensive display, and like his teammates, the All-Star forward failed to snap out of it as the game progressed.
Ultimately finishing with four points on 2-of-13 shooting, Gasol made a limited impact on the scoreboard. With Rose and Gibson out and Butler having left midway through, the team badly needed Gasol to step up as a scorer.
He didn't.
However, he was active elsewhere, grabbing 15 boards and dropping four assists. Still, the Bulls offense looked stagnant throughout, and Gasol was the primary reason why.
Joakim Noah: B+
Joakim Noah survived the team-wide first-period shooting slump by limiting his attempts, though he eventually fell victim to the inefficiency bug, ending the afternoon 2-of-8.
However, his high-energy style of play got him to the line often, where he attempted a career-high 14 free throws. It was at the stripe where he scored nine of his 13 total points.
He looked great as a passer, working in tandem with Gasol along the interior. On defense, he was his usual disruptive self, carrying the team with his unparalleled aggression.
Despite a rough day from the floor, Noah enjoyed an overall solid contest on both ends.
Nikola Mirotic: A
When Chicago's starters failed to get anything going in the opening quarter, Nikoka Mirotic proved to be the team's savior. Going 5-of-6 to open the game, Mirotic helped the Bulls fight back from their early deficit, eventually bringing them on top.
From there, he struggled when Los Angeles brought in its starting unit, though he regained his mojo in the final quarter when he paced Chicago with 15 points and scored all of the team's field goals.
Ultimately finishing the night with a career-high 29 points, the rookie continued to prove himself as a legitimate asset and a reliable option off the bench.
Aaron Brooks: C-
With Derrick Rose out, the stage was set for Aaron Brooks to make a splash. However, he did the exact opposite.
Two days after going 2-of-15, Brooks went 5-of-17 from the field. He added just three assists, turning the ball over twice.
Behind him, Kirk Hinrich went 0-of-7, further exacerbating the situation and calling attention to Brooks' individual struggles.
The need for him to step up as a scorer is already growing, but if Butler's injury proves to be serious, Bulls fans should cross their fingers that Brooks' slump comes to a quick end.
Rest of Team: C
Jimmy Butler score 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting before exiting midway through the third with an elbow sprain. The only other Bull to score in double digits was Tony Snell, who added 13. He shot 3-of-5 from the field and posted seven assists, continuing his streak of solid play.
The rest of the team was invisible, though. As mentioned, Hinrich went scoreless, while Mike Dunleavy went 1-of-3 from the field in 30 minutes.
Up Next
Chicago has a day of rest before taking on the Washington Wizards at home on Tuesday. Washington had lost six straight entering Saturday night, when it snapped its losing streak with a victory over the Detroit Pistons.
During the losing stretch, Washington fell to both contenders and bottom-feeders. However, the return of Bradley Beal Saturday night proved to be a game-changer and should make Tuesday's matchup anything but a walk in the park for a Chicago squad that will still be without Rose.
The Clippers, meanwhile, finish their four-game road trip on Monday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite playing better basketball as of late, Minnesota remains at the bottom of the Western Conference. Even without a day of rest, Los Angeles hardly has its hands full.
