NEWSLETTER
Hey, three of these games are winnable!
We’re Going Streaking:
Game Times and Broadcast Info:
Chicago Bulls Roster Notes:
Expected Starters:
- Tomas Satoransky
- Zach LaVine
- Kris Dunn
- Lauri Markkanen
- Luke Kornet
Unavailable/Injured: Otto Porter OUT (foot), Wendell Carter Jr. OUT (ankle), Daniel Gafford OUT (thumb)
Additional Roster Notes: Other than those HUGE absences, the Bulls are pretty healthy. Ryan Arcidiacono, Chandler Hutchison, and Lauri Markkanen are all day-to-day on the injury report with minor bumps or bruises, but none are in a position to miss time at the moment.
Opponents’ Roster Notes:
Unavailable/Injured:
Keep An Eye Out For …
Bulls: In January, NBA fans haven’t been watching the Chicago Bulls, they’ve been watching the Zach LaVine Show. Over the course of this month, LaVine has averaged 30.6 points per game (4th in the NBA) and has two 40+ point performances. His impressive performances have made for a valiant last effort for an All-Star nod. LaVine has a great opportunity to keep his show on the air with three of the Bulls four games this week coming against below. 500 teams. After playing the team with the No. 1-ranked defensive rating in the NBA, LaVine will battle the 15th, 18th, and 29th rated defense in the league. If LaVine hasn’t run out of energy just yet, he could take this month’s stats to the next level. The Bulls might be a pain to watch, but this could be fun to keep an eye on.
Bucks: Watch out for Brook Lopez. In his previous games against Chicago, he wasn’t necessarily dominant, but the Bulls also had Wendell Carter Jr. underneath the basket. With the Bulls now relying on Luke Kornet to hold down the fort, Lopez could be in store for a big night. A crafty, versatile big man, Lopez could be a major factor of what Milwaukee Bucks try to do Monday night. Not to mention, the Bulls frontcourt will be heavily distracted by trying to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo, which could open up the floor more for Lopez. And with back-up center Robin Lopez out for the game, Brook should have more time to fill the stuff sheet.
Timberwolves: I’m putting Karl-Anthony Towns on double-double watch immediately. The Bulls can’t guard Towns, so they better hope he’s just having an off night. Even as he’s shaking off the rust (he’s played only two games since returning from a 15-game absence), Towns could have one of his biggest games since early December against the Bulls. The big man is averaging 25.9 points per game on 50.6 percent shooting from the field and 40.6 percent from downtown. When he’s on his game, he can be unstoppable from nearly anywhere on the court. Luke Kornet and Lauri Markkanen will have their hands full.
Kings: The last time the Bulls played the Kings, they avoided a disastrous 4th quarter collapse to steal a victory on the road. In other words, the Kings didn’t make it easy on them and that was without star point guard De’Aaron Fox. Since Fox has returned from injury, he’s averaged 19.9 points per game with 7.5 assists and 51.8 percent shooting from the field. The Kings may not be winning a lot of games, but he could very well be the difference-maker this team needs to close out a game against the Bulls if they get that chance again. Dunn has done a good job on opposing team’s point guards this season, but Fox’s elite quickness could give him some problems.
Cavaliers: Collin Sexton is on a role. Over the weekend, Sexton dropped 26 points with 7 rebounds to help the Cavs pull out to a big 19-point lead against the Bulls. He’s now scored 25 or more points in three-straight games and is hands-down one of the team’s most consistent scoring threats. With Darius Garland also playing better basketball as of late, the floor could open up even more for Sexton the next time these two teams play. I expect Kevin Love to always be this team’s main point of attack against this Bulls team, but Sexton could give them plenty of problems yet again.
