Russell Westbrook has 18 points and Kevin Durant has 14 points to push the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 49-39 advantage over the beasts of the East Chicago Bulls in a Sunday showdown in the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City.
The Bulls are without the services of Derrick Rose once again as they have taken their talents on the road to Oklahoma. Kyle Korver was put in the starting lineup versus OKC for just the seventh time this season and has made Tom Thibodeau look like a true wise man. 11 points on 4-6 shooting leads Chicago's scoring efforts thus far. Rose's replacement in the lineup, C.J. Watson, has struggled with just 4 points and 3 fouls racked up in the first half.
While OKC is shooting nearly 50% from the field in the first half, the Bulls have done well in rebounding the ball and getting second shot opportunities. A 24-19 rebounding margin has been met with resistance from OKC's ability to defend the rim. Serge Ibaka already has 4 blocks and has altered a few others, and OKC's defense has stifled Chicago considerably.
With a win, Oklahoma City will get their 40th win of the season and will be closer to catching Chicago for the best record in the NBA.
For more info on the Oklahoma City Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City. For the Chicago Bulls, check out Blog A Bull.