Preview: Trail Blazers at Bulls

[December 12, 2014]  SportsDirect Inc.
 
 Chicago center Joakim Noah is in jeopardy of missing his second straight game when the Bulls host the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. Noah is having issues with a knee and an ankle and he missed practice on Thursday with coach Tom Thibodeau describing him as "day to day." Portland is experiencing a different type of pain, the one stemming from losing 90-82 to the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.

The Trail Blazers had won 14 of 15 games before the stumble in Minnesota and players and coaches alike bemoaned a slow start and a lack of urgency. "They seemed quicker to the ball then we were," Portland coach Terry Stotts told reporters. "They played with a lot of energy and scored a lot of energy points with offensive rebounds being one of them." Bulls power forward Pau Gasol suffered a chest injury in Wednesday's 105-80 rout of Brooklyn but plans to play.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN, CSN Northwest (Portland), CSN Chicago

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (17-5): The usually potent Portland squad was just 10-of-35 from 3-point range and had quarters of 16 and 15 points against Minnesota, its two lowest-scoring quarters of the season. Standout power forward Lionel Aldridge was particularly inept, making 3-of-14 shots for 10 points - his second-lowest output of the campaign. "We got great looks," Aldridge told reporters. "They doubled and we got the ball out and the ball moved around the perimeter and to the paint and everywhere. We all had good looks and we all just missed them."

ABOUT THE BULLS (13-8): Point guard Derrick Rose had 23 points in 24 minutes in the win over the Nets in one of his top efforts of the season. Rose is still feeling his way back after two consecutive seasons of knee woes and has scored 20 or more points on five occasions. "Just trying to let this process work itself out," Rose told reporters. "All this is just a learning experience with the team, especially with myself; haven't played in two years. Just picking and choosing what I'm going to go out there and do."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Portland has won the last seven meetings, including a 105-87 home win on Nov. 21 when Rose and Gasol didn't play.

2. Gasol has recorded seven consecutive double-doubles.

3. The Trail Blazers shot a season-low 38.8 percent in the loss to Minnesota.

PREDICTION: Bulls 100, Trail Blazers 99

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