Lakers-Bulls Game Delayed
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The Los Angeles Lakers' rematch with the Chicago Bulls has seen its scheduled tip-off time pushed back, but only four-and-a-half hours for now, per a Bulls tweet:
Originally pencilled in as a matinee contest at 12:30 p.m. PT, the game will now kick off at 5 p.m. PT. This feels somewhat tenuous, as the Bulls, who have at least nine players in COVID-19 health and safety protocols as of this writing, saw their prior two scheduled games (tonight against the Detroit Pistons and Thursday night against the Toronto Raptors) postponed indefinitely in response to their felled players.
The Lakers are dealing with a coronavirus case of their own, as swingman Talen Horton-Tucker tested positive for the disease today and will not travel with the team ahead of their Wednesday bout with the Dallas Mavericks.
Before losing two straight games after the coronavirus cases started to decimate Chicago's roster, the Bulls had been on a roll, winning four consecutive contests. At 17-10, Chicago is currently owns the Eastern Conference's second-best record, largely behind the play of star wings DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, plus center Nikola Vucevic and ex-Laker guards Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso.
Should enough Bulls players clear protocols, the game seems possible at the new scheduled tip-off time.
K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports that key Bulls players DeRozan, Coby White, Derrick Jones Jr. and Javonte Green could potentially return in time for the game. LaVine, forwards Stanley Johnson and Alize Johnson, plus wings Troy Brown Jr., Ayo Dosunmu, Matt Thomas would all still be unavailable for Chicago.
