The Chicago Bulls and Denver Nuggets meet for the first time in over a year. The last time the two squads clashed was in December 2023. The Nuggets won that matchup, defeating the Bulls 114-106. Without Jamal Murray in the lineup, Reggie Jackson stepped up to score 25 points in the victory.
Chicago missed this season's leading scorer, Zach LaVine, in its most recent contest against the inter-conference foe. Sans LaVine, Coby White led the way. The 6-foot-5 guard dropped 27 points and eight assists while converting on 5-of-10 three-point attempts.
13 months later, Chicago will be without its leading scorer from that eight-point defeat. White is set to miss his fourth consecutive game as he continues to deal with an ankle injury. White originally popped up on the injury report following the Bulls' loss in Portland against the Trail Blazers. Head Coach Billy Donovan excluded the sixth-year guard from the closing lineup after noticing he was in pain.
Coby White will remain out due to a bone bruise
White was ruled out the next day in a bout against the LA Clippers due to a tweaked right ankle. The Bulls guard received imaging to see if there was cause for concern. Fortunately for White and the Bulls, imaging revealed his bothersome ankle was structurally sound. White was subsequently given a questionable status before being ruled out against the Golden State Warriors on January 23.
Donovan provided a more detailed update on White hour before the Warriors' game. The 6-foot-5 guard is dealing with a bone bruise and will miss at least a week of action. However, it could be even longer. The Bulls Head Coach did not provide any sort of timetable for White's injury.
White has a bone bruise in his ankle. It “could be a week, could be longer” per Donovan.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 24, 2025
White suffered injury Sunday in Portland. So this Sunday will be the week. https://t.co/acBkljUmku
With White on the shelf for the foreseeable future, Chicago will likely continue to trot out Lonzo Ball with the regular starters Josh Giddey, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, and Nikola Vucevic. Aside from Ball, Ayo Dosunmu is another backcourt option Donovan has at his disposal.
Full injury report for Chicago Bulls vs Denver Nuggets
The complete injury report for tonight's game is as follows:
Chicago Bulls
Out: Torrey Craig (Right Ankle Sprain), Coby White (Right Ankle Bone Bruise).
Denver Nuggets
Out: Vlatko Cancar (Left Knee Surgery), DaRon Holmes II (Right Achilles Tendon Tear).