Chicago Bulls Injury Report: List Remains Stuffed, Thunder Resting SGA?

If the Chicago Bulls want to pull off back-to-back wins for the first time since January, they are going to have to take down the defending champs.

The new-look roster snapped an 11-game losing streak on Sunday afternoon with a surprisingly dominant win over the Milwaukee Bucks. They took complete control in the second half, finishing off the game on a ridiculous 33-8 scoring run in the fourth quarter. It was arguably the first time since the February 5 trade deadline that the Bulls played their preferred brand of basketball, leaning on well-rounded scoring and constant ball movement.

Indeed, the team finished with 34 assists for the first time since January 24, which also happened to be their last victory. Seven players finished in double figures, including three off the bench for a total of 48 second-unit points. Even more encouraging, the Bulls were surprisingly scrappy on defense and ended the night with 14 steals to force 19 Bucks turnovers.

While the hope for Billy Donovan is surely that his young team can build off this momentum tonight, that's going to be a lot easier said than done. The Thunder hold the NBA's top defensive rating and have limited teams to just 107.8 points per game. They most recently held the Dallas Mavericks to a mere 87 points on 39.0 percent shooting from the field.

Whether it be Chet Holmgren's rim-protecting prowess, Alex Caruso's on-ball dominance, Cason Wallace's high-energy play, or Lu Dort's ridiculous versatility, the Thunder have countless players who can shut down an opposing offense. Especially when we consider how turnover-prone the Bulls have been in recent weeks, this is the kind of game that could get really ugly, really fast.

The only good news for Chicago is that they will at least dodge reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The organization is choosing to sit him out tonight for injury management purposes. Averaging 31.8 points on 55.1 percent shooting from the field, he would have been a downright terrifying matchup for a Bulls team that is both undersized along the perimeter and in the post.

Regardless, does anyone truly believe the Bulls will be able to make this a game against OKC? The only hope for Billy Donovan and Company might be for them to recreate their shooting display from Sunday. They took 49 shots from long range – tying their fifth-most this season – and knocked down 18. There is no question that this emphasis on kicking out to open shooters helped them pull off the much-needed win. Again, doing this against OKC's defense will be a whole lot harder, but it might be their only way to realistically keep up.

If one thing is for sure, this will be a great test for Josh Giddey. A former Thunder lottery pick, the jumbo guard is coming off another triple-double. The Bulls are going to need him to run a very clean show and limit his turnovers against this pesky backcourt. Plus, with several key frontcourt players missing, he must continue to provide help on the glass.

The Bulls didn't add anyone new to their injury report ahead of tonight's tip-off, but the list remains extremely long. We still have yet to receive meaningful updates on Jaden Ivey and Anfernee Simons. Meanwhile, Patrick Williams and Jalen Smith are not expected to be re-evaluated until later this week. Williams at least spoke to the media this past weekend and shared some encouraging words, but quad strains can certainly linger.

Chicago Bulls Injury Report

Jaden Ivey – OUT (knee)
Anfernee Simons – OUT (wrist)
Jalen Smith – OUT (calf)
Patrick Williams – OUT (quad)
Zach Collins – OUT FOR SEASON (toe)
Noa Essengue – OUT FOR SEASON (shoulder)

Oklahoma City Thunder Injury Report

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OUT (abdominal)
Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)
Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (leg)
Ajay Mitchell – OUT (ankle)
Branden Carlson – OUT (back)

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on X for the latest news