Zach LaVine OUT AGAIN, Lonzo Ball Update

On By Littum

The Chicago Bulls are missing Zach LaVine again Thursday night.

After his strong start to the season, LaVine suffered an adductor strain during the team’s win over the Orlando Magic on Oct. 30. While he played through the issue in the following game against Brooklyn, the Bulls proceeded to rule him out before their matchup with the Utah Jazz.

There seemed to be some optimism that the two-time All-Star would be held to just one missed game. He entered the Bulls’ road meeting with the Dallas Mavericks as questionable, but the Bulls proceeded to rule him out again shortly before tip-off.

Now, less than 24 hours later, LaVine has gone in the wrong direction.

Zach LaVine of the Chicago BullsZach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls
(Stephen Lew-Imagn Photos)

Bulls without Zach LaVine vs. T-Wolves

The Bulls downgraded LaVine’s injury designation to questionable before their matchup with the Timberwolves on Thursday. A little under two hours before game time, they officially ruled him out. The move also comes after Billy Donovan expressed some optimism that LaVine could return Chicago Sports Network’s KC Johnson. Instead, Chicago’s leading scorer will miss his third straight game.

The good news is that LaVine could still be in line to return this week. Donovan told reporters that he only experiences some tightness, as opposed to suffering from a strain or strain. His next chance to speak will be on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks.

As for Lonzo Ball, today marks his 10-day re-evaluation period. We should receive a more concrete update on his status in the near future, but KC Johnson noted that he remains in a splint. The Bulls are sure to approach any ball injury with an abundance of caution as he hopes to continue his comeback season. But this particular injury apparently also ended up being a very close call, according to Johnson.

Ball shared with the media last week that if he continued to play on the injury, it could have ended up requiring surgery. That being the case, the Bulls will want to make sure his wrist is back to 100 percent strength before throwing him back on the floor.