By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
After experiencing discomfort in his surgically repaired left knee, Lonzo Ball is likely to be ruled out for the remainder of the 2021-22 NBA season.
Ball, 24, last played on 14 January. He was initially projected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks. Already past the two-month mark, suffering a setback in his attempt to get back to full speed prompted a new meeting with the medical staff to discuss his chances to be cleared for action, as noted by head coach Billy Donovan. It is widely expected that Ball will be shut down for the rest of the season.
Before being forced to the injury list, the former player of the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans put up 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks per contest over 35 appearances through his first season in Chicago.
From one UCLA product to another, Zach LaVine was ruled out of Tuesday’s home game versus the Milwaukee Bucks due to left knee soreness. He is considered day-to-day moving forward.
Missing both Ball and LaVine, the Bulls were defeated by the defending champions but actually clinched a berth in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. “I’m happy for our guys, I’m happy for our organization,” mentioned Donovan, “You want to be playing at that time of the year. A lot of these guys haven’t experienced this.”
With three games remaining on the Regular Season schedule, the Bulls will finish between fifth and sixth in the Eastern Conference. Currently sitting sixth at 45-34, one game behind the Toronto Raptors, they are set to host the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets, Wednesday and Friday, respectively, before visiting the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday.
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