Memphis @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 25, 2019 ) Chicago 110, Memphis 102

The Chicago Bulls salvaged the finale of a three-game road trip with a win at Sacramento on Monday and are hoping to carry some of the momentum home. The Bulls will try to pull off back-to-back wins for the first time this season when they host the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday in the first of a stretch with six of seven at home.

Chicago averaged 96.5 points in losses at Golden State and Portland to begin the road trip but shot 48 percent from the field and held off a late charge in a 113-106 triumph at Sacramento on Monday. "Just glad to get back to winning," Bulls guard Zach LaVine told reporters. "We need to start getting it going before it gets too late. ... Hopefully, it gives us a little spark. We have to defend home court. We haven't been doing that very well. Hopefully we can get a couple at home and get this going." The Grizzlies are losers of seven of their last eight but felt good about the way they competed in the last two contests - a win at Minnesota and a home loss to the Indiana Pacers. "Build off what we've been doing," forward Jaren Jackson Jr. told reporters of the team's goals for the upcoming four-game road trip. "I think we've been playing a lot harder and a lot smarter, playing within ourselves and within our system. Just have carry that on the road."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Southeast (Memphis), NBCS Chicago

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (6-14): Jackson scored a season-high 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting in Monday's 117-104 setback against Indiana after averaging 12.7 points on 32.5 percent shooting over the previous three contests. Jackson fouled out of Sunday's win in 19 minutes and coach Taylor Jenkins was pleased with his star's defensive effort against the Pacers. "Really proud of the steps he took," Jenkins told reporters of Jackson. "He just has so much to give and so much more - the dialogues we keep having about making defense a priority. I thought activity was good, but his communication was unbelievable."

ABOUT THE BULLS (7-14): Chicago built its roster with the idea that LaVine and forward Lauri Markkanen would compliment each other and share the scoring burden, and Monday marked the first time this season that both players reached 20 points in the same game. "I think we can build on this," Markkanen told reporters. "We had a couple of stretches we didn't play as well. But I thought we played a pretty solid game. We always talk about doing your job; it's just that simple." Center Wendell Carter added a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the well-rounded effort on Monday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Bulls SF Chandler Hutchinson (shoulder) sat out the last two games and is day-to-day.

2. Grizzlies SF Solomon Hill scored a season-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting Monday.

3. Chicago took the last five in the series, including a 110-102 win at Memphis on Oct. 25.

PREDICTION: Bulls 105, Grizzlies 101