Clippers rally in fourth quarter to end Bulls’ winning streak; LaVine gives update

LOS ANGELES — Paul George scored 22 points, Kawhi Leonard added 19 and the Los Angeles Clippers rallied for their third straight victory, 112-102 over the Bulls on Saturday.

James Harden had his second triple-double of the season with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. It was the 76th triple-double of his 15-year career, eighth all-time and fourth among active players.

"We talked about at halftime just what to look for just in terms of their coverages and what's going to be available. And I thought we did a good job of responding," said associate head coach Dan Craig.

Norman Powell came off the bench and scored 18 points, including a pair of 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter as the Clippers scored 11 straight points to open the period after trailing 85-83 after three.

"I thought we were getting downhill, with our attacks. As much as they hugged the paint, I thought we found ways to get crafty and get downhill," George said. "I thought we played defense. I thought that was the difference between the two halves. We played defense and brought some physicality."

Tyronn Lue coached the game despite feeling ill. He did not participate in pregame and postgame interviews.

The Bulls made only five of their 18 shots in the fourth quarter and missed eight of nine from beyond the arc.

Ivica Zubac had 10 of his 16 points in the third quarter as Los Angeles came back from a 16-point deficit early in the period.

"Every game we're going to need someone different," Harden said about the contributions of Zubac and Powell. "I thought it was everyone who contributed."

The Clippers have won four of six. At 41-21, they remain locked into fourth place in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles began a stretch of three games in four days, including two straight afternoon games, a task made more difficult with daylight saving time occurring this weekend.

DeMar DeRozan had 24 points and 10 assists, but the Bulls had their three-game winning streak snapped. Nikola Vucevic added 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Chicago (31-33) is ninth in the Eastern Conference and trails Miami by 4½ games for sixth and not having to take part in the play-in tournament.

Vucevic had 14 points and 10 rebounds in the first half as the Bulls built a 57-46 lead.

Chicago extended its advantage to 14 on Ayo Dosunmu's 3-pointer 46 seconds into the third quarter. The Clippers then countered with a 23-9 run to tie it at 69-all midway through the quarter.

"I thought we started the first half well. We moved the ball and made some shots. The turnovers and our inability to make enough shots, kind of impacted the third quarter," Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.

Bulls star Zach LaVine said Saturday that his recovery from season-ending surgery on his right foot is ahead of schedule.

LaVine had surgery on Feb. 8. He said it was to repair a nonunion Jones fracture, meaning part of the base of his fifth metatarsal was floating in his foot. The original timeline for his return was four to six months, which would put the two-time All-Star on track to be ready for training camp.

"I was pretty much trying to figure out every way not to," LaVine told reporters about the decision to have surgery. "You never want to have surgery. But I got to a conclusion, especially with what the doctor was telling me, that the pain level and this thing isn't going to heal on its own."

Also, Donovan said before the Bulls' game against the Los Angeles Clippers that Lonzo Ball has started sprinting and cutting during on-court drills in controlled, noncontact situations. Ball has not played since January 2022 because of three procedures on his left knee.

"Some of the workouts have been really positive as far as running, cutting, jumping, doing those things. So he's progressed into that and responded well," Donovan said. "I'm just really happy for him personally for his progress. He has worked hard to put himself in this position. And hopefully, he can continue to progress."

LaVine and Ball — who both went to college at UCLA — joined their teammates on the bench during Saturday's 112-102 loss to the Clippers. The Bulls had a three-game winning streak snapped but are 25-19 since Dec. 1. They are in ninth place in the Eastern Conference after a slow start to the season.