On the night of Jan. 20, first-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls await their next test on tap for this regular season slate to try and push their winning streak to three games. Up next for Donovan and the Bulls this week is a meeting on the road with the Charlotte Hornets, with tip off time set for 6 p.m. CT on Jan. 22.
The Bulls figured out on the afternoon of Jan. 20 that they would be getting the third-year former Boise State Broncos small forward Chandler Hutchison back in the lineup for their Jan. 22 meeting with the Hornets. The 24-year-old 6-foot-6 and 210 pound wing Hutch has dealt with a positive novel coronavirus case for the last couple of weeks.
Hutch has only played in four games this season, with none coming since the Dec. 29 win on the road over the Washington Wizards. But the Bulls did do fine in his absence in terms of making up for depth on the wing in this rotation.
Chandler Hutchison called his experience after testing positive for COVID-19 akin to a "tough flu." Fever, chills at night, loss of appetite.
— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) January 20, 2021
Said he's feeling good and fully recovered physically. Blood and heart tests came back clear
It should do nothing but help Donovan and this coaching staff that the Bulls get more wing depth back in the mix heading into the weekend. Hutch is reportedly feeling better as he returns to practice after battling COVID-19 of late.
The symptoms that Hutch reportedly mentioned he had in battling COVID-19 were similar to a “tough flu”. But his “blood and heart tests came back clear”, which is obviously good news for his return to both practice at the Advocate Center and game action for the Bulls in the near future.
Moreover, in four games played for Hutch with the Bulls so far this season (none of which he started in), he averaged 3.3 points per game, 4.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.3 steals, and no blocks. And Hutch shot a rather inefficient 31.3 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, and is perfect no a few attempts from the free-throw line.
Hutch and the Bulls hold a record of 6-8 following their Jan. 18 win at home at the United Center over the Houston Rockets, by the final score of 125-120. The Bulls won back-to-back games on Jan. 17 and 18 over the Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks.