10 Observations: Bulls cap off West Coast trip with a loss against the Clippers

10 Observations: Bulls cap off West Coast trip with a loss against the Clippers originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Bulls capped off their four-game West Coast road trip with a game against the Clippers in Los Angeles. The goal for the Bulls was to keep the momentum going from the 3-game win streak they earned on this road trip with W's over the Kings, Warriors and Jazz.

Here are 10 observations from the game.

--- Head coach Billy Donovan provided a significant update on Lonzo Ball before the game. He's now performing advanced athletic movements, including sprinting and cutting. It's been about 2.5 years since Ball stepped foot on an NBA court for a game.

MORE: Bulls' Lonzo Ball cleared for advanced rehab activities

--- Let's keep the updates coming. Zach LaVine, who underwent foot surgery on Feb. 8, spoke with the media for the first time since the Bulls announced he had elected to undergo the season-ending surgery. He told the media he's superseding the estimated 4-6 month timeline. LaVine said he'll be ready to go for training camp this offseason.

MORE: Bulls' Zach LaVine ‘ahead of schedule' following foot surgery

--- For the 43rd time in his career, Nikola Vucevic finished with a double-double in the first half. He notched 14 points and 10 rebounds in the first half, staying active on the offensive glass, too. By the game's end, he recorded 22 points and 11 rebounds (four offensive rebounds).

--- The Bulls got out to a great start in the first half. They played extremely well on both sides of the ball, finding opportunities for each other on offense and limiting the Clippers' Big 3 on offense. To cap off a phenomenal first half, Ayo Dosunmu got this buzzer-beating 3-pointer to go.

--- Donovan forced the Bulls to drop down into double teams when Kawhi Leonard got below the free-throw line. They used top closure, taking a guard from the perimeter to double up on Leonard. It helped limit Leonard's offense in some fashion, as he finished with 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting.

--- Alex Caruso, at one point, was the only player in the NBA to record 80 steals and 60 blocks this season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recently joined him. Against the Clippers, Caruso finished with four steals and two blocks.

--- DeMar DeRozan played with a fierce attitude in this one. He was physical with Norman Powell, and whoever Tyronn Lue sent his way on defense. It was a masterclass of midrange between DeRozan, Leonard and Paul George. DeRozan finished with 24 points on 8-of-19 shooting.

--- Speaking of Powell, he was truly an X-factor in this one. On Bulls Pregame Live, the crew talked about how the battle of the benches would be a deciding factor in this one. Powell excelled off the bench, finishing with 18 points. The Bulls finished with 15 bench points, while the Clippers notched 34 points off the bench.

---- The Clippers earned 42 points in the paint from the second half, compared to the 10 they finished with from the first half. Ivica Zubac had his fingerprints all over that facet of the Clippers' offense, finishing with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting. He also grabbed eight rebounds.

--- Some of the best basketball of the Bulls' season was played on this road trip. They earned wins over top-tier teams in the Western Conference. The Bulls should keep the momentum going with an easier slate ahead, as seven of their next nine games are at home.

The Bulls come back to Chicago on Monday to take on the Dallas Mavericks.

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