Key Points
- The Chicago Bulls aimed to extend their three-game home winning streak against the injury-hit Los Angeles Clippers on January 20, 2026.
- Josh Giddey was upgraded to questionable for the Bulls after missing ten games with a hamstring strain, potentially boosting their offense.
- The Clippers, missing Kawhi Leonard and other key players, relied heavily on James Harden and Ivica Zubac during their six-game winning streak.
The United Center was buzzing on January 20, 2026, as the Chicago Bulls hosted the surging Los Angeles Clippers in a matchup brimming with intrigue, injuries, and playoff implications. Both teams entered the contest with plenty to prove and plenty of missing pieces, setting the stage for a fascinating NBA showdown in the Windy City.
The Bulls, coming off a dominant 22-point win over the Brooklyn Nets, looked to extend their three-game home winning streak and solidify their standing in the Eastern Conference. At 20-22, Chicago had been the very definition of inconsistency this season, but their home record (13-9) offered hope against a Clippers squad that had been red-hot on the road. The Bulls were slight favorites entering the night, with sportsbooks giving them a 3.5-point edge and the over/under hovering around 226.5 to 227.5 points. Still, the spread reflected just how close this contest figured to be, especially considering the injury clouds hanging over both rosters.
One of the biggest storylines for Chicago was the potential return of Josh Giddey. The dynamic guard had missed the previous ten games with a hamstring strain, but after practicing with the Windy City Bulls on January 18 and receiving positive feedback from head coach Billy Donovan, he was upgraded to questionable for the Clippers game. Giddey had been enjoying a breakout campaign, flirting with triple-double averages at 19.2 points, 9.0 assists, and 8.9 rebounds per game. The Bulls’ net rating was 3.3 points per 100 possessions better with Giddey on the court, according to betting analyst Alex Hunter, but the team’s record with him active (15-15) underscored that his presence, while important, wasn’t a cure-all.
“Getting Giddey back would be a major boost for Chicago, which faces a daunting schedule in the coming days,” noted local coverage. Indeed, the Bulls’ injury report was relatively light beyond Giddey, with Zach Collins (toe sprain) and rookie Noa Essengue (shoulder surgery) both out, and Patrick Williams (ankle sprain) listed as questionable but expected to return later in the week. The hope was that Giddey’s return—even in a limited capacity—would spark an offense that averaged 117.4 points per game, outpacing the Clippers’ defensive yield by 4.2 points.
On the other side, the Clippers arrived in Chicago as one of the league’s hottest teams, having won 13 of their last 15 games—including six straight—to climb into the Western Conference’s top ten. Yet, their momentum was being tested by a rash of injuries. Most notably, Kawhi Leonard, in the midst of a resurgent season (28.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.2 steals per game), was sidelined for the third consecutive game with a left knee contusion. The star forward had pushed through the injury for two games, playing limited minutes, before being ruled out for the remainder of the Clippers’ East Coast road trip. He was expected to return for Los Angeles’ next home game against the Lakers, but his absence in Chicago loomed large.
Leonard wasn’t the only Clipper missing. Derrick Jones Jr. (knee sprain) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring) were both out, as was veteran guard Bradley Beal (hip fracture, out for the season) and Chris Paul (no longer with the team). Reserve guard Cam Christie was questionable with abdominal soreness, further depleting Los Angeles’ backcourt depth. As a result, the Clippers leaned heavily on James Harden, who had been nothing short of sensational in Leonard’s absence—posting 31 points and 10 assists in one game, then following that up with 36 points and nine assists in another. Ivica Zubac also stepped up with back-to-back double-doubles, while defensive specialist Kris Dunn provided much-needed grit.
“You would have liked to see the Clippers beat that 10-32 Washington team more convincingly, but extending their win streak to six in a row without Leonard was impressive nonetheless,” wrote Alex Hunter, referencing Los Angeles’ 110-106 victory over the Wizards the night before the Bulls clash. The Clippers’ recent surge had been fueled by a dramatic improvement in net rating—third-best in the NBA over the last 15 games—and a newfound confidence in late-game situations. Despite their 19-23 overall record, Los Angeles was being pegged by some analysts as a dark horse in the West, especially if Leonard could return to full health.
Oddsmakers and experts alike pointed to several key factors that could swing the game. The Bulls’ home-court advantage was significant, particularly with the Clippers playing the second night of a back-to-back after travel. Chicago’s defense, while leaky at times (allowing 120.3 points per game), matched up intriguingly with a Clippers offense that averaged 112.4 points—nearly eight fewer than what the Bulls surrendered to opponents. The tempo and pace analysis suggested a lower-scoring affair, with several betting models recommending the under on the 227.5-point total, citing the Bulls’ tendency to dictate the rhythm at home and the Clippers’ slower pace without Leonard.
Injury management and rotation depth were also under the microscope. The Clippers, short five rotation players, relied on two-way contract players Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders for meaningful minutes, while the Bulls hoped to get just enough from Giddey, Coby White, and Nikola Vucevic to offset their own absences. With both squads shorthanded, the chess match between head coaches Billy Donovan and Tyronn Lue promised to be a fascinating subplot.
As tipoff approached, the United Center crowd was treated to a tense, playoff-like atmosphere. The Bulls had a chance to prove they could win consistently at home, even amid adversity, while the Clippers sought to extend their winning streak and send a message to the rest of the league—injuries or not, they were a force to be reckoned with. No one could say for certain how it would all play out, but one thing was clear: both teams were hungry, both had something to prove, and neither was backing down from the challenge.
With the action still unfolding and plenty of storylines yet to be written, all eyes remained on Chicago as two determined teams battled for momentum, confidence, and a crucial midseason win.
