GAME NIGHT FROM THE UNITED CENTER
Indiana (23-15, 8-10 on the road) at Bulls (13-25, 7-13 at home)
TV: NBCSC Neil Funk and Stacey King 7PM.
RADIO: 670 The Score: Chuck Swirsky, Bill Wennington, and David Schuster. 6:45 pre.
SEASON SERIES: Indiana 1-0
PREVIEW: The Bulls begin three games in four nights with a home contest against Indiana followed by a game tomorrow night in Detroit with Boston entertaining the Bulls Monday.
It's been a tough stretch for the Bulls as they hope to snap a five-game losing streak against another struggling team in Indiana, losers of three of its last four games.
Zach LaVine continues to be a bright spot for the Bulls as he has provided plenty of offense averaging 28 points per game over his last four outings.
Thaddeus Young assisted LaVine in the scoring column tossing in a season-high 18 points in Wednesday's game at New Orleans. His ability to post up and knockdown three-point field goals are vital as the Bulls move forward playing without the injured Wendell Carter Jr.
Rebounding will come in to play with Carter sidelined as the Pelicans did their job on the glass against the Bulls 50-39.
INJURY UPDATE: The Bulls announced injury updates on center Wendell Carter Jr. and forward Otto Porter Jr. upon the team's return to Chicago. Carter Jr. underwent an MRI and CT scan which confirmed a severe right ankle sprain. It is estimated he will be out 4-6 weeks. A repeat MRI and CT scan were performed on Porter Jr. which showed ongoing bone healing. He will continue his gradual increase of non-basketball activities. Further updates will be provided as appropriate.
24 SECONDS NBA NEWS AND NOTES:
Our CCI "Game of the Night" OKC 113, Houston 92: Russell Westbrook returned to OKC for the first time and scored 34 points in 34 minutes. He received an amazing tribute from the OKC organization and received a huge ovation from Thunder fans. Chris Paul had an 18-6-5 game in 28 minutes.
Minnesota 116, Portland 102: Karl-Anthony Towns missed his 12th straight game with a left knee sprain.
Cleveland 115, Detroit 112 OT: Tristan Thompson had 35 points and 14 rebounds. Andre Drummond had a 28-23 game. The Pistons host the Bulls Saturday.
Philadelphia 109, Boston 98: The 76ers improved to 18-2 at home. Boston has lost three straight. Joel Embiid will miss next Friday's Bulls-76ers game. He will undergo surgery on his left-hand today and will be re-evaluated in 1-2 weeks. Embiid was the third overall pick in the 2014 draft covering a span of 18 matchups between Philly and the Bulls. He has played in only 4 of those against Chicago.
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