3 Takeaways & Player Grades: Clippers 119, Bulls 108

The Chicago Bulls end their five-game Western Conference road trip with a second consecutive loss. When we consider the level of competition, as well as the fact that it was the backend of a back-to-back, you have to admire their fight against one of the NBA's hottest teams. Nevertheless, some very familiar issues arised that ultimately allowed LA to secure the 119-108 win.

3 Takeaways

A Tight First Half

Much like we saw 24 hours prior, the Chicago Bulls kept things close with a superstar-led LA team. While the Los Angeles Clippers were able to hang on to a lead for a large chunk of the first half, the Bulls were always within striking distance. Both squads mixed up their shot selection well early on, relying on a balanced offensive attack. Every player who saw the floor for the Clippers in the first half found the bottom of the net, while the Bulls had seven of their nine men register at least one field goal.

The Bulls took their first lead, 49-48, at the 4:05 mark of the second quarter thanks to a Matas Buzelis three. You could see the turn of the tide coming after a 13-4 run for Chicago knotted the score up at 44 apiece. Buzelis would actually score seven straight for the Bulls, continuing to look like their go-to playmaker when things were right. Nevertheless, the balanced Clippers would reclaim the lead and head into the break with a slim 63-57 lead.

Los Angeles' 10-0 advantage on the Bulls' nine turnovers played a big part in deciding that first-half score. They were the more polished team, but Chicago looked up to the fight for the second consecutive night. They shot 9-19 from behind the arc over the first two quarters and also did a good job cleaning the glass. To pull off the upset, though, they needed to buckle down defensively. And we all know that is a lot easier said than done for this group.

How Many Points in the Paint!?

When the Clippers needed a bucket, they got the job done one way or another. They shot 24-32 in the restricted area and ended up finishing the night with a staggering 70 points in the paint. Multiple times, the Clippers converted on straight line drives to the rim and easily finished over the top of defenders. Guards were failing to put any real pressure at the point of attack, while bigs were failing to rotate and contest shots at the rim. Simple stuff.

Asked about Clippers’ 70 points in paint, Billy Donovan said the coaching staff has to do better job. Acknowledged the new roster but said attention to detail is off and that coaching staff has to do better job in drills with players.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) March 14, 2026

The Clippers also did a very good job taking advantage of the charity stripe as the night went along. Kawhi Leonard and Bennedict Mathurin combined for a 9-12 shooting effort from the free throw line in the fourth quarter alone. It's hard to reclaim control of a game when you're consistently fouling your opponent and giving up freebies.

Speaking of Mathurin, he also helped the Clippers win the bench points battle 51-25. Scoring depth has been one of the Bulls' few redeeming qualities all season long, but not tonight. At times, they looked desperate for someone who could create their own shot off the bounce. You really felt the absence of Collin Sexton and Anfernee Simons during certain possessions.

Another Josh Giddey Triple-Double

Stats: 20 PTS, 10 AST, 11 REB, 2 STL

Make that four triple-doubles in the last six games for Josh Giddey.

The guard has played some of the best basketball of his Bulls career over the last handful of days. He has looked increasingly comfortable playing alongside his new teammates, and he's also been incredibly confident shooting the theee-ball. He will now end the road trip having made a total of 19 threes, which included several off the bounce at the Intuit Dome.

Look, triple-doubles aren't everything. As cool as they might look on the statsheet, they don't mean a whole lot when the wins aren't coming. I think that's something we can all agree on. However, it would also be wrong to completely brush aside these robust stat lines. He is a remarkably well-rounded young player with elite distributing skills. As we discussed the other night, he will never be the flashiest of playmakers, but he is consistently locating the open man and remaining engaged no matter the score.

Would I like to see him shoot better than 8-20 from the field? Absolutely, and I also don't think there is much of an excuse for not getting to the free throw line once. At the same time, he was still a big reason why the Bulls were even within striking distance for much of the night.

Chicago Bulls Player Grades

Bulls Clippers — Mar 13, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. (5) drives the ball while under pressure from Chicago Bulls guard Rob Dillingham (7) and forward Leonard Miller (11) during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images

Tre Jones – A
Stats: 21 PTS, 2 AST, 1 REB

The Clippers couldn't stay in front of Tre Jones this afternoon. He finished 10-11 from the field with every shot coming well within 15 feet of the basket. As the Clippers looked to pull away several times, it was Jones who swooped in to keep the Bulls afloat.

Leonard Miller – B
Stats: 14 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL

Another night where Leonard Miller was all over the floor. If you're Patrick Williams, you should be legitimately concerned about your playing time. Miller is looking just like the physical and active forward the Bulls have wanted Williams to be for years. The only thing he's missing is an efficient long-range jumper.

Rob Dillingham – B-
Stats: 12 PTS, 4 AST, 4 REB

Is Rob Dillingham figuring something out? He has looked a little more comfortable finding his spots over the last two days, and he's even started to knock down some threes. The Bulls would love to see this continue over the next handful of weeks.

Matas Buzelis – C+
Stats: 18 PTS, 11 REB, 2 AST

Matas Buzelis had a rough shooting night against the Clippers, going just 6-18 from the field and 2-10 from deep. You have to admire the continued aggressiveness offensively, as well as his commitment to helping on the glass. With that said, these last two games are a good reminder of how far he still has to go to reach true star status.

Patrick Williams – D
Stats: 2 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 3 BLK

Patrick Williams had a couple of decent moments offensively, but his 0-7 shooting display says it all.

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