NBA

San Antonio Spurs Visit the Chicago Bulls

The San Antonio Spurs look to extend their NBA-best thirteen-game road winning streak, as they head into Chicago to face the struggling Chicago Bulls.

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The San Antonio Spurs visit Chicago looking for their 14th straight road victory.
The San Antonio Spurs visit Chicago looking for their 14th straight road victory.

After picking up a league-leading thirteenth consecutive road victory, the San Antonio Spurs (18-4) will head into the final stop of a three-game road trip. San Antonio’s thirteen-game away win streak ties them with the 2012-13 Miami Heat for the fifth longest road winning streak in NBA history. They will now go up against the Chicago Bulls (11-10), who come into the matchup having lost three consecutive games. San Antonio recently defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 105-91. Meanwhile, Chicago lost to the Detroit Pistons at home, 102-91.

The San Antonio Spurs will have one full day to travel prior to heading from Minnesota to Chicago. Likewise, the Chicago Bulls will also have one day off, but will be traveling a shorter distance from their away game in Detroit. This will be the first of two meetings between the two teams this 2016-17 season.

Heading into Chicago, the San Antonio Spurs are 21st in scoring, 102.8 ppg, but are 3rd in the NBA in points allowed at 97.8 ppg for a +5.0 point differential (6th). Despite their low scoring output, San Antonio ranks in the top five of three major shooting categories. They are 1st in free throw percentage (81.6%), 2nd overall in three-point percentage, (39.7%) and 5th in field goal percentage (46.3%).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1Y1oGGXVMg&spfreload=10

By comparison, the Chicago Bulls are 19th in scoring, 103.3 ppg and 8th in points allowed, 100.3. This lands them in the top ten in point differential (8th) with a +3.0 margin. Despite not being as accomplished as the San Antonio Spurs on offense, the Bulls are 22nd in field goal percentage (44.0%) and dead-last in three-point percentage (31.5%). However, they pace the Spurs in free-throw percentage at 80.6% (3rd). The Bulls are also a much stronger rebounding team than the Spurs, 2nd at 49.8 rpg compared to 41.6 rpg (29th).

San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker is listed as “probable” against the Chicago Bulls. Parker sat out against Minnesota due to sore thigh, suffered in their previous game colliding with Milwaukee Bucks point guard Matthew Dellavedova. This season, Parker is averaging 9.4 points, 4.4 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 25.7 minutes per game.

The Chicago Bulls will field their complete roster against the San Antonio Spurs.