Brooklyn Nets (8-22) at Chicago Bulls (15-16) 8 p.m. United Center TV: YES Network Radio: WFAN
The Brooklyn Nets are looking for a second straight win and to avenge an earlier loss to the Chicago Bulls when they head to the Windy City on Wednesday night.
The Nets are coming off of a dramatic 120-118 buzzer-beating win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night and are looking to snap a lengthy road losing streak.
To do so, they’ll have to do it without point guard Jeremy Lin.
Lin (strained left hamstring) left Monday’s win over Charlotte in the third quarter and did not return. Coach Kenny Atkinson did not disclose the severity of the injury or a timetable at Tuesday’s practice.
“We’re still in the evaluation period,” Atkinson said. “He didn’t do anything today, but we’re waiting for the evaluation and doctor’s report.”
This is the second hamstring strain for Lin this season, as the point guard previously missed 17 games this season with the same injury. Isaiah Whitehead held down the starting point guard role in Lin’s absence.
The Nets rallied without Lin on Monday night, getting big performances from Bojan Bogdanovic (26 points), Sean Kilpatrick (23 points) and Brook Lopez (21 points). Bogdanovic’s contribution came off the bench, as Atkinson opted to start Joe Harris in Monday’s win. With Harris recording no points and playing 12 minutes on Monday, Bogdanovic could see himself back in the starting lineup on Wednesday.
Chicago Bulls Hovering Around .500 After Changes:
After overhauling their roster over the summer, the Chicago Bulls haven’t exactly taken the step forward they’d hoped.
After finishing 42-40 last season, the Bulls are sitting at 15-16 one-third of the way through this season. Despite being one game under .500, Chicago currently stands seventh in the Eastern Conference, part of a crowd of nine teams holding between 14 and 17 wins.
The Bulls average the second-most rebounds per game in the entire NBA and are allowing the fifth-fewest points-per-game – two things the team does well – but they have not embraced 3-point shooting. Chicago is last in 3P% (30.7%), last in 3PA (19.7) and last in 3PM (6.1). Brooklyn is 28th in 3P% (33.3%), but the Nets are volume shooters behind the arc, attempting the third-most threes in the league (33.2) and making the fourth-most (11.1).
Jimmy Butler is having a career-year as the Bulls’ go-to scorer, averaging 24 points-per-game, over three more points from last season (20.9 points-per-game). Free agent acquisition Dwyane Wade is Chicago’s second leading scorer averaging 19.2 ppg, while fellow newcomer Rajon Rondo leads the team with 7.1 apg, though that’s a decrease of over four assists per game from last season.