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The Chicago Bulls needed overtime to defeat the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night and lost to the Washington Wizards, albeit without Derrick Rose, on Monday night. If they lose to the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night, then something might actually be amiss. After seemingly not losing a step without Rose for much of the second half, the Bulls have stumbled in April, going 4-4 as Rose has popped in and out of the line up.
With the season series finale vs. the Miami Heat looming on Thursday night, it's hard to believe that Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau would play Rose against the Bobcats, who are one of the worst teams in NBA history. Charlotte is currently in the midst of a 17-game losing streak, and they're fresh off of not even hitting 70 points in a 75-67 loss to the New Orleans Hornets.
The Bulls were last in Charlotte in early February, when they put the Bobcats to sleep early in a 95-64 victory. In that game the Bulls held the Bobcats to 32% shooting as a team, and as Chicago increasingly relies on their defense to make up for their flagging offense, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Charlotte approach that number again.
Game date/time: Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Location: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, N.C.
TV: The U (WCIU)
Odds: Bulls by 12
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