NEWSLETTER
I’m glad to see head coach Billy Donovan back on the sideline, but I’m not glad to see the news he delivered before the game …
UGH: Javonte Green Out 2-4 Weeks With Groin Injuryhttps://t.co/BPoFjb5qWM
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) January 3, 2022
Game Info
Orlando Magic (7-30) at Chicago Bulls (24-10) – 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago (TV), and 670 The Score (Radio)
Stream the game online here with your cable provider.
Projected Starters
Chicago Bulls
1. Lonzo Ball
2. Zach LaVine
3. DeMar DeRozan
4. Derrick Jones Jr.
5. Nikola Vucevic
Injury Report: Patrick Williams OUT (Wrist), Tony Bradley OUT (H&S P’s), Alex Caruso OUT (Foot), Javonte Green OUT (groin), Tyler Cook (ankle), Marko Simonovic OUT (H&S P’s)
Orlando Magic:
1. Tim Frazier
2. Gary Harris
3. Franz Wagner
4. Wendell Carter Jr.
5. Mo Bamba
Magic: Moritz Wagner QST (Non-COVID Illness), Chuma Okeke OUT (H&S P’s), Cole Anthony OUT (Ankle), Markelle Fultz OUT (H&S P’s), Robin Lopez OUT (H&S P’s), Jalen Suggs OUT (Thumb), E’Twaun Moore OUT (Knee), Michael Carter-Williams OUT (Ankle),
What to Watch For …
• As cool as it would be, we don’t want DeMar DeRozan to have to hit another buzzer-beater tonight. The Orlando Magic will walk into the United Center as the East’s second-worst team with a record of 7-30. They will also walk in having played a tight OT matchup against the Boston Celtics less than 24 hours prior. If the first-place Bulls can’t find a way to beat up on this inexperienced and depleted Magic squad, then it will likely mean they walked into the game with the wrong mindset. After all, this is a Chicago team that already handed Orlando a 123-88 loss back on November 26th.
• Welcome back, Lonzo Ball! The Bulls starting point guard has missed the team’s previous five games due to the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols, and while the team managed to extend their winning streak to seven games in his absence, all signs pointed to them needing him back on the floor. The team has allowed an average of 113 points per game since Ball left the starting lineup, and the 119 points they gave up to the Washington Wizards on Saturday night tied a season-high. Having his ball pressure and instinct as a help defender back on the floor should make life easier for everyone, especially LaVine and DeRozan, who have had to pile on the points to keep the Bulls alive in recent games.
• With Ball back in the lineup, I’ll be interested to see what version of Coby White we get. The third-year guard has played some of the best basketball of his career in the past few games, averaging 20.3 points, 7.0 assists, and 1.3 steals over the team’s previous three contests. He looked that much more comfortable next to the team’s starters, and his stroke from downtown was the most confident we’ve seen since last season (54.2 percent in the past three games). Let’s hope he can carry this momentum with him to the bench, where the Bulls are hoping he can finally become the consistent sparkplug scorer we’ve all hoped for.
• Wendell Carter Jr. had himself quite the night the last time these two played, scoring 26 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Again, the Bulls won in blowout fashion, but expect to see the big man bring a very similar attitude to tonight’s game.
• How many Alfonzo McKinnie minutes might we get tonight? Is he in the rotation?
• More in here …
The Tired Magic, DeRozan’s 3-Point Shooting, the Backcourt Defense, and Other Bulls Bulletshttps://t.co/Xg1BHj2DGc pic.twitter.com/9P0wHd2GZR
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) January 3, 2022
