The Chicago Bulls secured a win against the Denver Nuggets at home on Monday night and now face a road trip ahead. They are set to play the defending champion Boston Celtics on Wednesday and will conclude the trip with a game against the Toronto Raptors on Friday. Zach LaVine, however, won’t be available for Wednesday’s game and is likely to miss Friday’s matchup as well, as he and his wife are expecting their third child.
“Zach LaVine will be out for Wednesday’s game in Boston due to personal reasons, per Billy Donovan,” Julia Poe reported. “He is likely to miss this entire road trip. LaVine and his wife Hunter recently announced that they are expecting their third child.”
With LaVine absent, the Bulls will have to adjust their lineup. Patrick Williams, recently moved to a reserve role on Monday, expressed comfort coming off the bench, a role he feels suits him.
“I would say yeah, but I wouldn’t say that I’m uncomfortable starting,” Williams stated, as reported by Julia Poe. “I just think it’s – the second unit needs different things than the first unit. I’ve always kind of tried to be a player that can fill any gap. I’m not trying to say I’m one thing; I’m trying to be a basketball player. Whatever the game needs, I try to be able to do that. Second unit needs a little bit more scoring, a little bit more offensive identity. I was able to provide that tonight.”
Filling the gap left by LaVine will be no small feat. He delivered a stellar performance on Monday, scoring 21 points and hitting 5 of 10 three-pointers during the Bulls’ victory over the Nuggets. However, the team showed encouraging signs as other players stepped up to contribute significantly.
“They were doing a great job early in the game not letting me get into the paint, forcing me to pass; so just trying to read the game,” LaVine reflected postgame, as noted by NBA.com. “I knew I was going to have to take a couple of them, but just figuring out when. Zo [Lonzo Ball] got hot. DT [Dalen Terry] was playing great. Matas [Buzelis] played great. Pat [Patrick Williams] played the way he is supposed to; that’s what really helped. Ayo [Dosunmu] had a hell of a game. It was the way we were supposed to be playing.”
The Bulls rallied from a deficit during Monday night’s game, taking control in the third quarter and sealing a 129-121 victory.
With the win, Chicago improved to 20-27 on the season, holding 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Their next game is scheduled for Wednesday night at 7:30 PM ET against the Celtics at TD Garden in Boston, airing on local networks.
