The Chicago Bulls dropped their third straight game with a 130-127 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, January 10, on the road.
The Bulls completed their four-game West Coast road trip on Sunday afternoon with a 45-point performance by guard Zach LaVine. LaVine not only scored a game-high 45 points against the Clippers on Sunday but drained 10-three pointers during the contest.
Although coach Billy Donovan was impressed with his team’s performance, he believes this group is still learning how to win.
“To take the next step, we have to learn how to win,” said Donovan, head coach of the Chicago Bulls via NBC Sports Chicago. “And before you learn how to win, you have to learn what forces you to lose games.”
The Bulls played very competitive basketball throughout the game but had no answer for Clippers guard Kawhi Leonard down the stretch. The Bulls were outscored 42-35 in the third quarter after Leonard scored 21 of his team-high 35 points for the Clippers. Leonard also added five three-pointers in the third quarter and scored his 10,000-career points of his career on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s a stepping stone, but I don’t really care about it,” Leonard said of his milestone via ESPN. “Maybe when I retire, I’ll sit back and look at the accomplishments.”
Leonard also drained a career-high seven three-pointers during the contest.
Final Score: Clippers 130, Bulls 127.
The Bulls finished their West Coast road trip with a 1-3 record. They earned a huge win against the Portland Trail Blazers to open up the trip but suffered three straight losses to the Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, and Los Angeles Clippers to close it out.
Bulls rookie Patrick Williams, who patterns his game after Leonard, added 17 points.
Chicago Crusader Players of The Game:
Zach LaVine, Bulls, scored a game-high 45 points and 10-three-pointers.
Kawhi Leonard, Clippers, scored a team-high 35 points. Leonard made seven three-pointers from behind the arc.
Rookie Patrick Williams, Bulls, added 17 points.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
