The Chicago Bulls received two days off after defeating the Brooklyn Nets by 26 points on Monday night. On Thursday night, they will travel to San Antonio to play the Spurs. Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic combined for 39 points and six triples in Chicago’s most recent victory.
In the end, Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis stole the show, despite the strong performances of the Bulls’ top scorers. Giddey finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists against the Nets, recording his first triple-double while wearing a Bulls uniform. Buzelis played 22 minutes, scored a season-high 17 points, and made 7 of 10 field goals despite not starting for the injured Coby White.
White was replaced by Julian Phillips, who scored five points and pulled down five rebounds. Phillips had good defensive play, adding a steal and a block, despite his lackluster stats. Patrick Williams, who was injured, continued to start with Ayo Dosunmu. Dosunmu contributed six assists and 16 points. As a starter, the 24-year-old averages 14.9 points and 4.4 assists per contest. Although Dosunmu has performed admirably for Williams, it looks like his time in the starting lineup is coming to an end.
Ball and White are ruled out for Thursday; Williams is expected to return next week.
Head coach Billy Donovan provided an update on Williams’ injury status Wednesday afternoon. Donovan announced that Williams will be sidelined for Chicago’s games against the Indiana Pacers on Friday and the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. The Bulls’ coach also noted that it’s unlikely the starting power forward will make his December debut on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Since the Bulls defeated the Detroit Pistons 122-112 on November 18, Williams has not played in a game. Williams’ injury turned out to be more serious than expected, even though he had initially remained in Chicago as a precaution while the rest of the team flew to Milwaukee to play the Bucks. If he does not show up on Sunday, he will have missed ten straight games.
Fortunately, Williams’ opportunity for a comeback opens up next week. K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network reports that the 6-foot-8 forward has been working out on his own but has stayed off the field during team exercises.
The Bulls have been comparatively healthy aside from Williams. After missing 15 games in a row from October 30 to November 27, Lonzo Ball has returned to the starting lineup and has played 13 minutes or more in Chicago’s last three games. Ball has averaged 4.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 16.7 minutes per game since his injury return.
Despite playing in three consecutive games, he will be dressed in street clothes for Thursday’s game against the Spurs. Ball will be rested before playing in the Bulls’ second night of their back-to-back against the Pacers, but he has no injury classification.
White, another guard who has recently lost time, is also scheduled to miss Chicago’s matchup with San Antonio. After spraining his left ankle during Chicago’s NBA Cup game against the Boston Celtics on Friday, Coby will be out for the second straight game. Fortunately for Chicago, White doesn’t seem to have a significant injury. He considers his sprained ankle to be everyday. The 6-foot-5 guard is probably going to play again on Sunday night when the 76ers visit.
