10 Observations: Bulls fall to short-handed, reconstructing Raptors originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Bulls played host to the Raptors in the first of a back-to-back set of games. They fell at home, 118-107, in this one.
Here are 10 observations from the game:
— The Bulls announced Tuesday that Patrick Williams will be sidelined for at least two weeks after receiving a diagnosis of acute bone edema in his left foot. That could leave Williams on the sidelines until after the All-Star break (Feb. 16-21).
Head coach Billy Donovan spoke about a potential timeline for his return pregame.
“I think that’s the hope,” Donovan said when asked about Williams playing after the break. “We’ll see how he responds. I think it’s pretty clear right now with moving into the end of the month of January and then 14-15 days to the break, we can probably anticipate he’s not gonna be available prior to the All-Star break.”
Keep in mind, as Donovan mentioned later, Williams will need a ramp-up period before returning, too. Stay tuned coming out of the All-Star break for more news on his injury status.
— As for other notable Bulls injuries, Donovan was positive. He said Zach LaVine is still getting treatment. Donovan said the team should know more on his front by the end of the week.
Torrey Craig is also unavailable for this back-to-back stint. But Donovan said Craig is “moving closer and closer to playing.” Look for Saturday to be his unofficial first opportunity to return from his plantar fascia injury. Craig hasn’t played since Dec. 16.
— Julian Phillips was first off the bench for the Bulls. He played well against the Trail Blazers in Portland, finishing with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting and two rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench. With the multitude of injuries the Bulls are dealing with, Phillips will likely see more tick.
Donovan acknowledged as much pregame, tipping his cap to the Portland performance and mentioning how injuries provide opportunities for young players.
“I think young guys, they’re going to have their ups and downs,” Donovan said. “[Julian Phillips] gave us a huge boost in the Portland game, he played really, really well.”
— Gary Trent Jr. lit up the basket in the first quarter. He finished the first frame with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field in 10 minutes. He finished with 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting.
—- For a third straight game, Donovan rolled out Andre Drummond and Nikola Vucevic together. In the past, this hasn’t really…