The 9th and 13th-place teams in the Eastern Conference will square off when the Hornets return to action on the floor on Wednesday night at the Spectrum Center against the Chicago Bulls.
Despite having dropped three of their last four games and currently having a 22-26 record, the Bulls are still very much in the running for a position in the play-in tournament. For the 10-35 Hornets, who enter Wednesday night on a four-game losing streak and having dropped 22 of their previous 25 games, that fantasy has long since died.
Star players on both teams are probably out of the game going into this matchup, and both teams have very extensive injury reports going into it.Report on Injuries for the Hornets
The main thing to keep an eye on is LaMelo Ball’s status as a standout point guard. Ball made his injury comeback on January 12th, but an ankle ailment has kept him out of the team’s last two games. He is officially classified as “Doubtful,” and it appears that he is headed in the wrong way. It is evident that the longer this ankle issue persists, the more concerning it is.
In addition to LaMelo, the following players won’t be playing tonight: Kylre Lowry (not with team), Gordon Hayward (calf), Mark Williams (back), and Amari Bailey (g-league). Due to an elbow contusion, Miles Bridges is also classified as “Probable” for the game; nonetheless, a very trustworthy source has stated that he will play for the Hornets tonight.
Bulls Injury Summary
The Bulls had a rather full injury list going into the contest. LaMelo Ball’s brother, Lonzo Ball, is included in that piece as well. He hasn’t been able to play in more than two full calendar years due to knee issues that could end his career.
Zach LaVine (ankle), Dalen Terry (ankle), and Patrick Williams (foot) have also been ruled out of Chicago’s game tonight along with Lonzo. LaVine has been the focus of several trade speculations, but given his contract and history of ailments, a deal might not be viable.
The Bulls are hoping that Terry’s and Williams’ injuries from the last few games are not serious, but Terry will be out for at least tonight, and Williams will be out for a few weeks.
Due to a foot injury, veteran swingman Torrey Craig has been sidelined since mid-December. However, Bulls coach Billy Donovan recently stated that Craig is “inching closer to a return” and that he is now considered “Doubtful” for tonight’s game. Although it’s still uncertain that he’ll play, a comeback seems likely.
Despite those players being out for the game, the Bulls are still currently listed as five-and-a-half-point favorites on the road.
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