Chicago Bulls: James Harden out for Nets with hamstring issue

Injury news could potentially be the break that the Chicago Bulls and first-year head coach Billy Donovan are looking for to snap their losing skid of late. Donovan and the Bulls have now lost six games in a row, and eight of their last nine. Following their April 2 road loss at the hands of the Utah Jazz, the Bulls were sent reeling in the midst of a really difficult road trip.

Next up for Donovan and the Bulls after the conclusion of this road trip (now post-Western Conference for the most part) is a meeting with one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference in the red hot Brooklyn Nets. The Nets enter this game with a record of 34-15 with a four-game winning streak following their April 1 win over the Charlotte Hornets.

A break could be on the way for the Bulls in taking on the Nets to round out the weekend, with superstar guard James Harden reportedly out for this game with a hamstring injury. The Nets as a whole have dealt with a plethora of injury issues this year, including to superstar forward Kevin Durant and standout point guard Spencer Dinwiddie. Star point guard Kyrie Irving has also missed time due to various personal reasons.

Impact of James Harden’s absence for the Chicago Bulls vs. Nets

Harden has largely led the Nets throughout the wake of this injury absence that KD went through lately. He’s worked his way into the MVP conversation since landing in Brooklyn from the Houston Rockets earlier in the season. Harden also got his ninth career All-Star selection this year. He was an All-Star selection in each of the last nine seasons, an unprecedented run for the star guard.

In their latest win over the Hornets on April 1, Harden did miss time with this lower-body injury issue. Given that the Nets are dealing with back-to-back games in the next two days, against the Bulls and New York Knicks, it makes sense that they would give Harden the extra time to recover either way.

In the 41 games that Harden has played in so far this season, he’s averaged 25.9 points per game, 8.2 rebounds, 11.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks. He leads the league in assists per game this season. And he’s shot 46.3 percent from the field, 35.9 percent from beyond the arc, and 87.0 percent from the free-throw line.

Post-All-Star Break, Harden was nothing short of remarkable for the Nets too. He’s averaged around 28 points per game, nine rebounds, 11 assists, 1.5 steals, and one block, in 10 games played since the conclusion of the All-Star Break.

Tip-off time between the Bulls and Nets is set for 1 p.m. CT at the United Center in Chicago. The Bulls come in with a record of 19-28, looking to snap their six-game losing skid to round out the weekend.