With five games left on their schedule, the New York Knicks are in an ideal spot health-wise as they try to hold onto the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Chicago Bulls, meanwhile, have a similarly ideal injury report as they look to retain the ninth spot in the draft lottery odds.
Here's the latest injury news for an April 3 matchup between the two teams, including an update on Bulls floor general Josh Giddey and a rare report for the Knicks.
Josh Giddey injury status: good news or bad news for Bulls?
Chicago's 23-year-old point guard missed his team's April 1 contest with the Indiana Pacers — a blowout 145-126 loss to a team with the second-worst record in the NBA. Good for draft positioning, sure, but still not a great look.
Giddey missed that April Fool's Day drubbing after experiencing tightness in his left hamstring, an issue that already cost him 19 games this season. He's listed as probable on the Bulls' injury report for tonight's contest in New York, but there's a chance he misses the rest of the year, according to Brian Sandalow of the Chicago Sun-Times.
NBA teams won't ever cite tanking as the reason for holding a player out, but it's obvious, at least in most situations, that key contributors tend to have phantom injuries or knocks that linger for a curiously long time on rebuilding squads.
In the Bulls' case, though, it wouldn't be shocking if the team tried to rush a player like Giddey back for the last few games of the season to try to maintain that "competitive integrity."
In related news, veterans Tre Jones and Guerschon Yabusele are also listed as "probable" to face the Knicks. Because why not run out some guys who can help you pull off an upset victory with six games to go in a lost campaign?
Knicks have the rare "clean bill of health"
New York's injury report is empty. Literally. There are no names on it.
It's not an unheard-of situation, but it's definitely not common, either. Usually, someone has at least some kind of injury they're dealing with. Even if it's a minor knock and a "probable" designation.
New York — which is clinging to a one-game lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs — is uncommonly healthy at the right time. Fingers crossed for Knicks fans.
Full injury report for Chicago Bulls at New York Knicks
The complete injury report for tonight's game is as follows:
Chicago Bulls
Out: Zach Collins (toe surgery); Noa Essengue (shoulder surgery); Anfernee Simons (wrist); Jalen Smith (calf)
Questionable: Nick Richards (elbow)
Probable: Josh Giddey (hamstring); Tre Jones (ankle); Guerschon Yabusele (ankle); Mac McClung (abdominal tightness); Lachlan Olbrich (foot)
New York Knicks
N/A