As the Chicago Bulls and second-year head coach Billy Donovan gets set to take on the Dallas Mavericks on the road on the night of Jan. 9, there is some injury news worth noting for one team. And this bit of injury news actually doesn’t concern the Bulls ahead of this meeting with the Mavericks in Dallas to round out the weekend.
According to the latest NBA injury report on the afternoon of Jan. 9, superstar point guard Luka Doncic is listed as “questionable” for the Mavs with a right ankle sprain. Doncic was out for the Mavs in their convincing Jan. 7 24-point win over the Houston Rockets on the road. But he could return for the Mavs in this key cross-conference meeting with the Bulls.
Doncic did miss a double-digit number of games last month namely due to his lingering ankle injury issues. The only game he had missed so far in January was against the Rockets on Jan. 7. But that doesn’t say a lot given the fact that he’s only played in three games so far this month.
Without a doubt, the Mavs are going to be hindered by injury questions in this matchup against the Bulls. It’s not just Doncic that is a key Mavs player listed on the injury report on Jan. 9. Standout big man Kristaps Porzingis is out for this game since he is still in the league’s health and safety protocol.
Chicago Bulls could be facing a Mavs team with a limited Luka Doncic
Doncic did get off to a pretty slow start this season, at least by his usual standards early in his career, but he has picked up his play of late. Through two dozen games played this season, Doncic has averaged around 25 points per game, eight rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and 0.5 blocks. And he’s shot 44 percent from the field, 32 percent from beyond the arc, and 71 percent from the free-throw line.
The Bulls have two key injuries of their own to note in this meeting with the Mavs. Point guard Alex Caruso will miss his eighth straight game now as he is also in the health and safety protocol. Meanwhile, shooting guard/forward Javonte Green is still out for the Bulls as he’s dealing with an adductor injury.
Donovan and the Bulls are sporting a record of 26-10 heading into this meeting with the 21-18 Mavs. Tip-off time between the Bulls and Mavs on Jan. 9 is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.