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Bulls go for second straight upset vs. Spurs

Jan 17, 2009 - 11:24 AM San Antonio (25-13) at Chicago (18-22) 8:30 p.m. EST

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Chicago Bulls already have one huge win over an NBA powerhouse this week. On Saturday night, they will try to make it two.

Two nights after upsetting LeBron James and the high-powered Cleveland Cavaliers, the Bulls host the San Antonio Spurs as they try to extend their winning streak to three games.

The 2008-09 season has been an up-and-down one, full of more than enough growing pains for the young squad with the first-time head coach. For a while there, it was mostly down, as they dropped eight of 11 between the end of December and the beginning of January. But they rebounded with two wins in a row - including arguably their most impressive one of the entire season.

They forced James into missing 13 consecutive shots at one point, as the MVP candidate was limited to 8-of-28 shooting in Chicago's 102-93 overtime victory. The big coup for the Bulls this week has been the returns of Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich.

Deng (ankle) and Hinrich had both been out for extended periods of time, but returned this week to buoy the Bulls' offense. Deng posted 22 points, eight boards and four steals against Cleveland and Hinrich added 12 points and five assists.

The Bulls will face a team that knows a little something about losing to inferior opponents - after all, it just happened Friday. The Spurs were dismantled in stunning fashion, falling to the Philadelphia 76ers, 109-87. They shot just 36.5 percent in the loss and have dropped two of three.