The Chicago Bulls take on the reeling Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena tonight at 6:30 p.m. CT. After two victories to begin the month of December over the Brooklyn Nets and San Antonio Spurs, Chicago dropped back-to-back efforts against the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers.
The Bulls got back on track this past weekend, defeating the Charlotte Hornets in a 109-95 victory on December 13. Although the Bulls earned a win and held the Hornets to a season-low 95 points, the most notable of headline came from the two teams combining to miss an NBA record 75 three-pointers in an all-time disastrous shooting performance.
Despite the atrocity, the Bulls are back in the win column following consecutive losses. The same cannot be for the Raptors, who have dropped four straight, including three at home. Toronto's losing streak has coincided with unfortunate injury luck. Numerous key players, such as Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, are sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Even though injuries have taken a toll on the Raptors' roster, the squad has nearly won three of its last four contests. In Toronto's most recent three losses, the average margin of defeat was only 7.3 points. R.J. Barrett, Gradey Dick, and Jakob Poeltl have performed above expectations in the wake of Toronto's injuries.
Scottie Barnes remains out due to an ankle injury
The Raptors will continue to be without its lone All-Star, Barnes, and starting point guard, Quickley. Toronto is also set to miss Bruce Brown, who has yet to make an appearance this season after undergoing offseason knee surgery.
Will Zach LaVine play against the Raptors tonight?
While Toronto has already ruled out three players, the Bulls have also listed three as out and two as probable. One of the inactive designations goes to two-time All-Star Zach LaVine. The 29-year-old suited up for a team-high 34 minutes against the Hornets despite coming into the game with an injury designation.
However, LaVine's designation has graduated from probable to out ahead of Monday night's bout. LaVine's teammate, Vucevic, who missed his first game of the season on Friday night, is slated to return to action after being given a probable diagnosis.
Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors injury report
The full injury report for tonight's game is as follows:
Chicago Bulls
Out: Zach LaVine (Lower Back Spasms), E.J. Liddell (Sore Left Knee), Dalen Terry (Right Knee Contusion).
Probable: Lonzo Ball (Left Knee injury Management), Nikola Vucevic (Illness).
Toronto Raptors
Out: Scottie Barnes (Right Ankle Sprain), Jamison Battle (Left Ankle Spain), Bruce Brown (Reconditioning), Immanuel Quickley (Partially Torn UCL).