On Wednesday, the Chicago Bulls announced that Otto Porter will miss tonight’s contest against the New York Knicks with back spasms.
Otto Porter Jr. is OUT tonight vs. New York (back spasms). pic.twitter.com/BPYeIz14fs
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 3, 2021
This will be Porter’s fourth absence of the season, the second of which appears to be directly due to this lingering back issue.
The injury first appeared in the Bulls matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 8th. The veteran forward clocked only six minutes of action in that one, going on to remain sidelined for the Bulls next game against the Los Angeles Clippers. His other two inactive games appear to be more of a coach’s decision, as both were on the backend of a back-to-back. Head coach Billy Donovan was clear about his intentions to watch Porter’s minutes closely this season, which makes plenty of sense when we consider his recent health history. And, with that in mind, I wouldn’t be surprised if this decision to sit Porter is out of an abundance of caution.
Hopefully, this extra day of rest can help steer Porter in the right direction. It’s clear that he has been dealing with this pesky back problem for the past couple of weeks, so any added rest must feel good. As for tonight, look for Chandler Hutchison and Denzel Valentine to eat more minutes tonight.