The Chicago Bulls are set to take on the Miami Heat on Thursday, just a day after the tough 113-110 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Leading up to the contest, both Josh Giddey and Jalen Smith popped up on the club’s latest injury report.
Giddey is dealing with a left hamstring strain, while Smith has right calf tightness. It’s said that Giddey is considered questionable and Smith is considered probable. That means the 23-year-old guard’s status is still up in the air, while the Bulls’ backup center is likely to play against the Heat.
Other players on the Bulls’ injury report include Zach Collins, Noa Essengue, and Tre Jones, who are all officially out. Additionally, Yuki Kawamura and Emmanuel Miller are deemed questionable to play. Kawamura and Miller are both on G-League two-way contracts.
Josh Giddey sustained the hamstring injury on December 29 in the Bulls’ 136-101 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He’s missed several weeks due to the injury, and his questionable status indicates that his recovery is, at the very least, progressing. Through 34 games played this season, Giddey is averaging 18.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game while shooting 46.2% from the floor and 36.6% from beyond the three-point line.
As for Jalen Smith, the six-year veteran seems in line to play despite dealing with tightness in his right calf. Smith enters Thursday’s contest having played 40 games this season. He’s averaging 9.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while owning a 47.9% field goal percentage and 37.6% three-point percentage while backing up Nikola Vucevic.
The Bulls and Heat are scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. EST. The game will take place in Chicago.