It’s finally here! No, not the trade deadline or All-Star Weekend, but the Chicago Bulls’ first-ever triple-header. Chicago will face the Miami Heat three times in four days, beginning tonight and ending with a February 1 matchup in South Beach.
The Bulls are 0–1 against their play-in nemesis this season, with that loss coming in November—a 143–107 blowout. However, Chicago was without its leading scorer, Coby White, in that matchup, as he sat out the first night of a back-to-back for injury management. Now rounding back into form after a calf issue, the 25-year-old guard is averaging 21.6 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.0 made threes over his last five games.
Josh Giddey’s status in question
Tonight’s game marks just White’s second back-to-back appearance of the season. However, his backcourt mate Josh Giddey may not suit up, as the Bulls have listed the 23-year-old as questionable due to left hamstring injury management. Still, prior to Chicago’s matchup against Indiana, Billy Donovan said the plan was for Giddey to play both ends of the back-to-back before reassessing.
Beyond Giddey, Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and Jalen Smith also appear on the Bulls’ injury report. Collins remains in a walking boot, with Billy Donovan saying on January 28 that the big man will be re-evaluated in roughly two weeks. Jones continues to deal with a hamstring injury and is expected to be re-evaluated in about a week. Smith, meanwhile, is a new addition with calf tightness but is listed as probable and is expected to play.
Miami missing key backcourt pieces
While the Bulls’ backcourt isn’t at full strength, Miami’s situation is even more tenuous. The Heat will be without their starting point guard and shooting guard, Davion Mitchell and Tyler Herro. Mitchell is set to miss his fifth straight game with a shoulder sprain, though the injury doesn’t appear to be long-term, as he’s been regularly participating in pregame warm-ups.
Herro, meanwhile, has appeared in just 11 games this season. The swingman missed the first 17 games while recovering from offseason foot surgery, then suffered a toe injury that sidelined him for another 13 contests. Most recently, a rib injury has kept the former Wildcat out, as he’s dealing with a costochondral issue—inflammation of the cartilage connecting a rib to the sternum. While the injury initially didn’t appear serious, costochondral issues are notoriously painful, making Herro’s return largely dependent on pain tolerance.
Full injury report for Chicago Bulls vs Miami Heat
The complete injury report for tonight's game is as follows:
Chicago Bulls
Out: Zach Collins (Right 1st Toe Sprain), Noa Essengue (Left Shoulder Surgery), Tre Jones (Left Hamstring Strain).
Questionable: Josh Giddey (Left Hamstring Strain Injury Management).
Probable: Jalen Smith (Right Calf Tightness).
Miami Heat
Out: Tyler Herro (Right Costochondral; Injury to the Ribs), Davion Mitchell (Left Shoulder Sprain), Terry Rozier (Not With Team).
Probable: Norman Powell (Lower Back Tightness), Kel'el Ware (Right Hamstring Strain).