The Chicago Bulls are losers of two straight following four consecutive wins. The Bulls' first loss was a nail-biter against the Dallas Mavericks. Chicago lost 120-119 despite being down by as many as 11 with less than four minutes to go. The Bulls' second loss was its third-worst of the season. The Oklahoma City Thunder eviscerated the Bulls—145-117.
Onto April, the Bulls are in the hunt for a bounce-back win against the injury-ravaged and 11th-seeded Toronto Raptors. The Raptors come into the matchup winners of four straight. However, the win streak should come with an asterisk. As part of the streak, Toronto has defeated the Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, and Philadelphia 76ers.
Toronto now clashes with a far more formidable opponent—an opponent that is 3-0 this season against them. The Bulls defeated the Raptors in December, January, and February, scoring 122 or more in each outing. The Bulls won't even be close to max capacity the fourth time around.
Bulls list 6 players as questionable
Lonzo Ball and Tre Jones are out once again, but several more guards have popped up on the injury report ahead of tonight's contest. Jevon Carter, who reached double-digits for the first time since early February last night, is questionable. Fellow reserves, Julian Phillips and Dalen Terry are on the mend with lower body injuries.
After sitting out Chicago's bout with Oklahoma City, Kevin Huerter has been upgraded to questionable as the Bulls host the Raptors. The 6-foot-7 sharpshooter missed the March 31 affair with a thumb injury. Lastly, Josh Giddey has resurfaced on the injury report. He was deemed questionable prior to saying he'd be playing. Expect the same from the 6-foot-8 guard tonight.
The Raptors will be without several starters
While Chicago expects most of its players to suit up, the same cannot be said of Toronto. The Raptors list five players as out, including Brandon Ingram, who has yet to suit up for the Canadian squad since being acquired ahead of February's trade deadline.
Furthermore, starters RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick will miss tonight's matchup. Barrett, who doesn't have a specific injury designation, has played well against Chicago thus far. He's averaged 23.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in the three matchups earlier this season. Ocahi Agbaji will join Barrett in street clothes with a rest designation.
Full injury report for Chicago Bulls vs Toronto Raptors
The complete injury report for tonight's game is as follows:
Chicago Bulls
Out: Tre Jones (Left Midfoot Sprain).
Doubtful: Lonzo Ball (Right Wrist Sprain).
Questionable: Jevon Carter (Right Acromioclavicular Contusion), Josh Giddey (Right Hip Soreness; Injury Management), Kevin Huerter (Right Thumb Sprain), Julian Phillips (Right Quadricep Contusion), Jalen Smith (Right Knee Soreness), Dalen Terry (Right Calf Contusion).
Toronto Raptors
Out: Ochai Agbaji (Rest), RJ Barrett (Rest), Ulrich Chomche (Partial Proximal MCL Tear), Gradey Dick (Right Knee Bone Bruise), Brandon Ingram (Left Ankle Sprain).
Questionable: Jared Rhoden (Left Hand; Sprained Fifth MCP Joint).