Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine is set to be sidelined for at least a week due to a sprained right ankle, as announced by the team on Friday. It’s the latest injury he’s dealt with during the 2023-24 NBA season.
This development follows an incident in Thursday’s 116-110 win against the Toronto Raptors. LaVine sustained the injury in the third quarter and expressed frustration by throwing a towel at an empty chair before heading to the locker room.
“He rolled his ankle, that’s all I heard,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “I didn’t get a chance to see it on tape.”
“I could just tell when he was back in there, I didn’t feel like he was moving great,” Donovan explained. “I know he was trying. I think he wanted to keep going, just to keep himself fresh.”
LaVine attempted to return to the game in the fourth quarter but could only play for approximately two minutes before exiting again.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls Updates
This injury comes at a critical time, with less than three weeks remaining until the NBA trade deadline, and adds to a series of injuries that have disrupted LaVine’s season.
LaVine had only returned to play seven games following a foot injury earlier in the season that kept him out for 17 games.
During his recent seven-game stint, LaVine’s performance showed notable changes. He averaged 15.6 points on 11.1 field goal attempts, along with career-highs in rebounds (5.9) and assists (5.3) per game. These statistics represent his lowest shot attempts since the 2015-16 NBA season, his second year in the league.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls Updates
Despite these challenges, the Bulls have managed to cope with LaVine’s absence earlier in the season. They recorded a 10-7 record during the initial period following his foot injury on November 30.
