A tough meeting lies on tap for first-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls on the night of April 19. The Bulls will get back in action after snapping their five-game losing streak last weekend against head coach Brad Stevens and the surging Boston Celtics on the road early this week.
The last game the Bulls played in resulted in a much-needed double-digit win over the divisional foe Cleveland Cavaliers and standout point guard Collin Sexton on April 17. The Bulls definitely needed that win over the Cavaliers to keep pace with the top 10 teams in the Eastern Conference standings to at least get a spot in the play-in tournament next month.
Meanwhile, the team that the Bulls are facing on April 19 coming off six straight wins. The Celtics have also won eight of their last nine games dating back to April 2. This team is truly one of the hottest around the NBA through the month of April to date.
But the Celtics will have to face the Bulls without one of their key players again on April 19. Star point guard Kemba Walker has struggled with injury issues all season long, as he’s set to reportedly miss the meeting with the Bulls due to an illness.
Kemba Walker out, Marcus Smart ‘likely’ to play vs. Bulls, per Celtics coach Brad Stevens
— Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) April 19, 2021
This will be the first game that Kemba misses for the Celtics since their April 7 four-point win over the New York Knicks. The Celtics had won five in a row with Walker in the rotation. The last game they lost with Walker in the lineup came back on April 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Impact of Kemba Walker’s absence for the Chicago Bulls
With Walker out of the rotation for Stevens and the Celtics on this night, the Bulls could have an opportunity to really get second-year point guard Coby White and combo guard Tomas Satoransky going. White played well in his last two games, getting the starting role back over Sato (one of those in the former Washington Wizards guard’s absence).
Walker was playing well for the Celtics in the past few months since making his season debut. In eight starts in the month of April, Walker averaged 15.9 points per game, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.5 assists. His offensive rating is up to a season-high 120, and his defensive rating sits at 113.
Walker also has his true shooting percentage at its highest point of the season to date, at 55.7.
It would be very encouraging if the Bulls got a big night out of White, who needs to consistently play better for this team to find more success in the win column. Seeing a bounce-back performance out of Sato would also be a good sign for the Bulls down the stretch.
The Bulls come into this meeting with the Celtics with a record of 23-33 coming off their April 17 win over the Cavaliers at home at the United Center. Meanwhile, the rolling Celtics come into this game with a record of 31-26.