CHICAGO (670 The Score) – Bulls guard Zach LaVine (right foot soreness) and forward DeMar DeRozan (left ankle sprain) will sit out Chicago's game against Milwaukee on Thursday at the United Center.
It will mark LaVine's second missed game of the season. He exited in the second half of Chicago's loss at Boston on Tuesday with the foot soreness, which has plagued him for about a week-and-a-half. LaVine was ineffective Tuesday, scoring two points on 1-of-9 shooting in 25 minutes of action.
"He came out of the game, it's kind of still the same thing, dealing with the foot soreness," coach Billy Donovan said. "I know he's going to be out tonight, but that's really all I have at this point in time. It's just something that I think flared up for him in the Boston game, and he's still dealing with the soreness."
LaVine's absence comes amid a tumultuous time for him and the team. He's struggling in averaging 21.0 points while shooting 44.3%, a pair of figures that are his lowest marks since the 2017-'18 campaign, when he returned midseason after rehabbing a torn ACL. LaVine and his agency have also made it known to the Bulls that he's open to being traded, a development that has turned from a possibility into an inevitability as the team is off to a woeful 5-14 start and has lost five straight.
It will also mark DeRozan's second missed game of the season. He suffered his ankle on a drive to the hoop Tuesday. DeRozan is averaging a team-high 21.3 points.
The Bulls will host the Pelicans on Saturday in their next game.
Cody Westerlund is an editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
