The Chicago Bulls should not feel very good about their performance on their latest road trip.
Entering the season, the Bulls were projected by some to win the Eastern Conference. They managed a 4-3 record, but had some poor losses on the road trip. They fell at Portland 105-87 and 103-88 at Sacramento. Portland has been an elite Western Conference team all season, but Sacramento is 9-9, and is a team that a top- tier team like Chicago should have a better showing against.
Although they saw some success against the Clippers in L.A., this team should be very excited to see the United Center floor.
Luckily for the Bulls, they sit in the fourth seed in the East, and they are still in front of the Central Division. They start a three-game home stand in which they see two elite opponents from the Western Conference. According to ScoreBig, fans are paying $233.92 for Chicago Bulls tickets this season.
Stephen Curry is proving to be a big draw for opposing fans. Photo by Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
12/06/14 vs. Golden State Warriors| Average Price: $234.77| Get-in Price: $61.00
The Bulls open their home stand against the Golden State Warriors.
Golden State is 15-2, and has the best record in the NBA. This game will be a matchup of two of the NBA’s best point guards. Former NBA MVP Derrick Rose will have the task of guarding one of the NBA’s best young players, Golden State’s Stephen Curry.
Curry is averaging 23.7 points per game and shooting 41.2 percent from beyond the arc. Chicago will need Rose to step up in a major way in order to slow down Curry.
Curry and shooting guard Klay Thompson are going to have a hard time driving the lane against Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol, so look for them to try to create open 3-point shots to stretch the defense.
Rose and Jimmy Butler will go toe-to-toe with Curry and Thompson in a battle to decide who is really one of the NBA’s best backcourts.
The average price of Bulls vs Golden State Warriors tickets of $234.77 has decreased by seven percent in the past week. This could be due to the Bulls’ struggles against Western Conference foes, as they have lost four of their last five games to Western Conference opponents, but as it currently stands this is the most expensive game of the Bulls home stand.
Can the Nets turn things around in Chicago? Photo by Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
12/10/14 vs. Brooklyn Nets| Average Price: 153.40| Get-in Price: $33.00
The second game of the home stand comes after a healthy break for Chicago. The Bulls get three nights of rest in between Golden State and the Brooklyn Nets.
Brooklyn comes in at 8-9. The Nets are the eighth seed in the East and the second place team in the Atlantic Division. This team is coming off a huge win against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs.
This will be a battle of two of the NBA’s best centers, as Brook Lopez and Noah will go head to head. Lopez is more of a scoring center, averaging 15.8 points per game but only grabbing 5.4 rebounds.
It will also be a battle of veteran point guards as Brooklyn’s Deron Williams comes to the United Center tied for 16th in the NBA in assists and seventh in the NBA in scoring among point guards.
Fans are paying an average of $153.40 to see this game, which represents a nine percent decrease of the price of a week ago. This decrease in price could be coming from the disappointing start to Brooklyn’s season. Last season, the Nets made it to the second round of the playoffs, but fell to the eventual Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat.
This is the most in-expensive game of the road trip.
LaMarcus Aldrdige’s versatility has the Blazers rolling into Chicago this week. Photo by Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
12/12/14 vs. Portland Trail Blazers| Average Price: $178.14| Get-in Price: $46.00
Chicago sees another elite Western Conference team and another elite point guard/forward tandem. They also face another elite backcourt. This time, they get a shot at redemption against the Trail Blazers, who beat them 105-87 in Portland.
Portland enters with the fourth best record in the NBA, and third in the Western Conference. They are the best rebounding team in the NBA, averaging 47.4 boards per game.
Forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge poses a unique for Chicago’s big-men, as he can do it all. He not only leads the Blazers in rebounds but in scoring as well.
They also have a very talented backcourt in Damian Lillard and Wesley Matthews, who combine for 36.9 points per game.
Butler and Rose have another shot to prove that they are for real and that they are the best backcourt in the Eastern Conference.
Prices for this marquee NBA matchup are averaging around $178.14. This three percent decrease in the past week makes this big test for the Bulls that much more affordable.
