Positive updates on the Chicago Bulls have been few and far between lately. After a surprising 5–0 start, a 4–12 slump has erased their early momentum, and to make matters worse, the injury bug has bitten—and it stings.
After missing seven players in a 10-point loss to the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets, the Bulls are set to be shorthanded again against the similarly downtrodden Indiana Pacers. Chicago officially lists only two players as out—Noa Essengue and Kevin Huerter—but three more as doubtful and another three as questionable.
Bulls’ injury woes keep getting worse
Of the players listed as doubtful, it’s unlikely any of the trio will suit up. Isaac Okoro has already missed six straight games with left lumbar radiculopathy, essentially a pinched nerve in his back. According to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley, Okoro won’t return until the pain fully subsides, and projecting that timeline is nearly impossible. The discomfort isn’t limited to his lower back; it radiates down his leg.
Moreover, both Tre Jones and Jalen Smith have been out of the lineup recently, dealing with an ankle sprain and a hamstring strain, respectively.
As for the players listed as questionable, all have a chance to play, though each comes with concerns. Zach Collins is listed as something other than out or doubtful for the first time this season. After undergoing surgery for a preseason wrist fracture, the 6-foot-11 big man could finally make his season debut, either against Indiana or in the coming days.
Ayo Dosunmu, meanwhile, is a late addition to the Bulls’ injury report. Chicago lists the 6-foot-5 guard as questionable with a thumb sprain, making him a likely game-time decision. The same goes for Coby White, who has been managing a minor left calf strain. White missed the first 11 games of the season with a right calf strain, was eventually cleared, and then developed discomfort in his left calf. An issue that has sidelined him for the Bulls’ last three games.
Full injury report for Chicago Bulls vs Indiana Pacers
The complete injury report for tonight's game is as follows:
Chicago Bulls
Out: Noa Essengue (Left Shoulder Contusion), Kevin Huerter (Left Adductor Strain).
Doubtful: Tre Jones (Left Ankle Sprain), Isaac Okoro (Left Lumbar Radiculopathy), Jalen Smith (Left Hamstring Strain).
Questionable: Zach Collins (Left Scaphoid Fracture), Ayo Dosunmu (Right Thumb Sprain), Coby White (Left Calf Strain).
Probable: Dalen Terry (Left Calf Strain), Patrick Williams (Left Wrist Sprain).
Indiana Pacers
Out: Tyrese Haliburton (Right Achilles Tendon Tear), Quenton Jackson (Right Hamstring Strain), Kam Jones (Lower Back Stress Reaction), Aaron Nesmith (Left Knee MCL Sprain), Ben Sheppard (Left Calf Strain), Obi Toppin (Right Foot Stress Fracture).