Chicago Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan left the third quarter of Monday’s game against the Celtics with a quad strain and did not return.
Without arguably their best offensive talent for much of the night, the Bulls lost by a final score of 107-99 in what was a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.
DeMar DeRozan underwent an MRI and it showed a Grade 1 thigh strain, per Donovan.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 14, 2023
DeMar DeRozan has officially been ruled out for the Bulls, per K.C. Johnson. The Bulls had previously downgraded DeRozan’s injury status to doubtful for Wednesday night’s showdown, per a tweet from Johnson. Wednesday’s absence represents his first missed game of the season. Additionally, the team has listed defensive-minded combo guard Alex Caruso (right ankle sprain) as probable to play.
DeRozan, 33, is in his 14th year in the NBA and second as a member of the Bulls. He’s averaging 26.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks across 41 appearances thus far. After a career year shooting the three during the 2021-22 campaign, DeRozan’s three-point percentage this season has dipped to around his career average. He’s currently converting 27.1% of his long-range attempts and is a career 28.7% shooter from distance.
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With DeRozan out on Wednesday, expect guard Zach LaVine to have a big night scoring-wise. After all, LaVine went off in the fourth quarter against Boston a few nights back, scoring 15 of his 27 points in the final frame. He’ll be the number one option even when Derozan is out on the court.
There is a chance Derozan suits of for Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. It is good news that the injury is not that serious. The Chicago Bulls are +250 to make the playoffs according to Illinois sports-books. If the Bulls were to compete for even a play-in spot, they will need one of their better players in Derozan to be healthy.
