Bulls News

New Orleans Pelicans at Chicago Bulls – Starting Lineups, Injury Report, How to Watch

The Chicago Bulls are looking to avoid their third straight loss in a meeting with the New Orleans Pelicans, who have already beaten them twice this season.
Elias Schuster|
Dec 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Poole (3) brings the ball up court against Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Dec 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Poole (3) brings the ball up court against Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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Chicago BullsNew Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans have eight wins on the season ... and two of them are against the Chicago Bulls.

In both outings against the worst team in the Western Conference, the Bulls shockingly struggled to keep things close. New Orleans' size repeatedly gave them problems inside. They dropped 78 points in the paint on Chicago in their first meeting before dropping 60 points in the second contest. The Bulls also had an oddly tough time holding onto the basketball in both meetings, losing the points off turnovers battle each night.

Absent their lead guards and their most physical big man tonight, there is no question that both of these issues could pop up again. I suppose the good news is that Ayo Dosunmu had one of his best games of the season against this Pelicans team. He scored 28 points in their November game on 11-16 shooting from the field. Expect him to have another significant workload tonight with White and Giddey in street clothes.

Speaking of which, New Orleans allows the third-most fastbreak points per game. Their transition defense has been a major problem all season long, and the Bulls have to find a way to still take advantage of that despite the absences in their backcourt. It will be up to Dosunmu and Tre Jones to ensure the team remains bought into Chicago's uptempo identity.

How to Watch

Who:  New Orleans Pelicans (8-26) at Chicago Bulls (15-17)
Where: United Center
When: 6:00 p.m. CT
Watch: Chicago Sports Network

Projected Starting Lineups

Chicago Bulls

1. Josh Giddey
2. Coby White
3. Isaac Okoro
4. Matas Buzelis
5. Nikola Vucevic

New Orleans Pelicans

1. Jeremiah Fears
2. Trey Murphy III
3. Saddiq Bey
4. Zion Williamson
5. Derik Queen

Injury News

The Chicago Bulls will face Zion Williamson for the third time this year, as the big man has now played in eight-straight contests. In fact, the only player missing for New Orleans tonight is Jose Alvarado, who was suspended for his fight with Phoenix center Mark Williams.

As for the Bulls, they will be without their two leading scorers for the foreseeable future. Coby White and Josh Giddey have been sidelined for multiple weeks due to injuries suffered against the Timberwolves. Zach Collins also remains sidelined with a toe injury that held him out of Monday night's loss.

Chicago Bulls Injury Report

Coby White – OUT (calf)
Josh Giddey – OUT (hamstring)
Zach Collins – OUT (toe)

New Orleans Pelicans Injury Report

Jose Alvarado – OUT (suspension)

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Elias Schuster
ELIAS SCHUSTER

Elias Schuster is a sports journalist and content creator from the northern suburbs of Chicago. A graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he has covered the Bulls since 2019-20 and previously served as the editor of BN Bulls at Bleacher Nation. He has been the Publisher for Bulls On SI since December of the 2025-26 season. When he isn't obsessing over hoops, Elias spends his time obsessing over practically every other sport – much to his wife's dismay. He also loves strolling the streets of Chicago for the best cozy bar or restaurant to set up shop and write his next article.

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