The Chicago Bulls will head into their Christmas Day game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a chance to break their three-game losing skid.

The Bulls are looking to bounce back from a 105-102 loss against the lowly Brooklyn Nets. Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg said it was a “very disappointing loss” for his team, who are now 15-11 and sixth in the Eastern Conference.

"This is a tough loss," Hoiberg said, reports ESPN. “You have to win your home games. We've dropped a couple in a row now.”

However, the Bulls will be without back centre Joakim Noah, who suffered a sprained shoulder against the Nets. Noah was initially expected to miss only two weeks, but his MRI revealed a “slight tear” in his left shoulder and is likely to miss two to four weeks instead, according to WGN TV.

Jimmy Butler, the Bulls’ leading scorer, posted 24 points in the defeat against the Nets and is expected to lead the charge against the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook when Chicago visits the Chesapeake Energy Arena on Friday (Saturday AEDT).

The Thunder, winner of straight three games against the two Los Angeles teams, comfortably sits at the third spot in the West with a 20-9 record. Durant and Westbrook are averaging 26.8 and 25.4 points per game, and it would be a tough task for the Bulls to contain both superstars.

The Bulls won their first meeting with the Thunder on Nov. 5, when Derrick Rose scored 29 points to give Chicago a 104-98 win. But with the Bulls unable to gain momentum in their last three outings, OKC is the favourite to win their Christmas Day battle.

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