The San Antonio Spurs (24-10) will finally make their way back to the AT&T Center tonight after their Rodeo Road Trip as they host the Eastern Conference powerhouse Chicago Bulls (28-8).
The Spurs will be looking to flex their homecourt muscle (13-1) but it will not be easy with the Bulls in town. Chicago and San Antonio have split their season series two years in a row with Chicago sweeping the 2009-10 season series against San Antonio. In other words, Chicago will be a handful.
Last season, these two teams were jostling for the best record overall in the NBA with the Spurs coming up one game short at 61-21 with the Bulls finishing with a record of 62-20.
For a complete preview of tonight’s game, make sure to check out Project Spurs’ Paul Garcia’s breakdown but here are five things to watch for in tonight’s contest.
- Bulls do not fare well in San Antonio. Chicago is 2-8 in their last 10 games in the AT&T Center.
- So Derrick Rose might be an issue for the Spurs. In his last two games versus the Spurs, Rose averaged 37.5 points, 6 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in 38 minutes and shot 60% from the field. Not to mention Rose scored a career-high 42 points against the Spurs in 2011.
- However, Tony Parker is an issue for the Bulls. TP led the Spurs in two games against Chicago last season with 23.5 points, and 5.5 assists in 35.5 minutes.
- If the Bulls are leading after the first quarter, it might mean a loss for the Spurs. The Bulls are 24-0 this season when leading after the first quarter, including 13-0 when ahead after the first quarter on the road.
- Might want to make sure the Bulls do not score 100 points tonight Spurs. When Chicago scores 100 points or more, they are 13-0.
Matchup to watch: Parker vs. Rose. Here is how the two fared against each other (via nba.com) last season.
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