Although this late-season contest between the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets falls wholly under the NBA radar, it holds a lot of weight regarding draft lottery positioning. The Bulls are currently five games ahead of the Nets in the Eastern Conference pecking order. Chicago's record is 27-38, while Brooklyn sits at 22-43.
The Nets are sixth in lottery odds, but the Bulls aren't too far off, sitting in eighth place. Brooklyn's odds of landing a top-four selection are nearly 14 percent higher than the Bulls', 39.5 percent, compared to Chicago's 26.3 percent. Despite the minute distance between the two squads in the standings, it's unreasonable to assume the Nets will surpass the Bulls over the final 17 contests of the season.
Brooklyn is 2-8 over its past 10 games, compared to Chicago's 5-5 record over the same stretch. However, the Bulls have added to their stronghold on the 10th-seed as of late, winning three consecutive contests. Nonetheless, one of the Bulls and NBA's best players (since the All-Star break) will not be in Billy Donovan's lineup tonight as Chicago takes on Brooklyn.
Bulls will face the Nets without two primary ball handlers
Josh Giddey, who's averaged 23.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 8.4 assists since the All-Star break, will miss his first contest after suffering a sprained right ankle against the Indiana Pacers on March 10. The 22-year-old guard sustained the injury with just under eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter, immediately heading for the locker room upon landing on tan opposing player's foot.
The Bulls and Giddey anticipated the injury to be much more severe. Giddey described this sprain as the most pain he's ever felt from a sprained ankle—an injury he's suffered several times. Fortunately, Giddey won't miss an extended period of time. The Bulls have listed the 6-foot-8 guard as doubtful. However, Giddey stated he wouldn't be suiting up against the Nets. Thus, an "out" status will appear sooner than later.
Besides Giddey, only one other Bull appears on the injury report with an injury designation. That's Lonzo Ball, who's missed five consecutive games with a right wrist sprain. There's no timetable for the 6-foot-6 guard to return to the lineup. However, it's worth noting that Ball missed 15 games earlier in the season with the same injury. It's possible we won't see Ball make his return to the hardwood for at least another week.
Full injury report for Chicago Bulls vs Brooklyn Nets
The complete injury report for tonight's game is as follows:
Chicago Bulls
Doubtful: Lonzo Ball (Right Wrist Sprain), Josh Giddey (Right Ankle Sprain).
Brooklyn Nets
Out: Noah Clowney (Right Ankle Sprain), Dariq Whitehead (G-League Assignment).