The Chicago Bulls have ruled out Coby White ahead of Monday’s late-night meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers.
On the backend of a back-to-back, White is dealing with ankle soreness. He clocked 27.0 minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night, struggling with only 9 points on 4-10 shooting. This marked White’s lowest-scoring effort since Nov. 27, 2024, against the Orlando Magic.
While we should keep an eye out for updates from head coach Billy Donovan, White’s absence is likely more precautionary than anything else. Still, in the thick of a five-game losing streak, sitting White will only create another hurdle for the Bulls to overcome. Before last night’s poor performance, White had been averaging 21.0 points and 5.8 assists on 49.4 percent shooting from the field in his previous 11 contests.
White’s absence is sure to stand out even more if Ayo Dosunmu is not given the green light. The guard had his best night since returning from a 10-game absence, clocking over 30 minutes for the first time since mid-December and scoring 12 points with 4 assists. Dosunmu would presumably move into the starting lineup for White and carry a heavy scoring burden tonight, but the Bulls currently have him listed as questionable with an “injury management” designation. With that in mind, even if he does play, I’d expect Donovan to watch his minutes closely. The Bulls want to avoid putting too much pressure on the calf that held him out for multiple weeks.
Lonzo Ball sat out the Bulls’ front end of their back-to-back, which suggests he should be good to go tonight. The Bulls do have him listed as questionable with a quad injury, but K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network said he is on track to suit up.
Zach LaVine and Jalen Smith are also featured on the injury report with knee tendonitis. While both are listed as probable and thus expected to play, this feels like something we should monitor as the week unfolds.
As for the Clippers, they are dealing with their own long list of ailments. The often-injured Kawhi Leonard suited up last night and is therefore sitting this one out. Big man Ivica Zubac – who has put together a strong season – has also been ruled out for the first time this season due to an eye injury. Considering Mo Bamba and Kai Jones are the only other true centers on the roster, this should open the door for Nikola Vucevic to have a huge night.
The other notable name at risk of sitting out tonight is Norman Powell. This would be an almost equally as huge break for the Bulls as dodging Kawhi Leonard. Powell has been the team’s leading scorer this season, averaging 23.6 points per game. He is also among the NBA’s elite threats from downtown with his 44.6 percent shooting percentage on 8.7 three-point attempts per game.
Bulls-Clippers Injury Report
Bulls
Zach LaVine – PROBABLE (knee)
Jalen Smith – PROBABLE (knee)
Ayo Dosunmu – QUESTIONABLE (injury management)
Lonzo BAll – QUESTIONABLE (quad)
Coby White – OUT (ankle)
Torrey Craig – OUT (ankle)
Jevon Carter – OUT (illness)
Clippers
Kawhi Leonard – OUT (knee)
Ivica Zubac – OUT (eye)
Kris Dunn – QUESTIONABLE (knee)
Norman Powell – QUESTIONABLE (back)
Nic Batum – PROBABLE (knee)
