DeRozan suffers injury during lost cause vs. Bucks
Everything is easier in hindsight, but the Bulls might have been better off passing out rest days on Tuesday against Milwaukee.
It was a challenging scenario to begin with, playing on the road on the second night of back-to-back games against a rested team. The Bulls then lost by 28 points while resting no one.
DeMar DeRozan felt his left adductor strain worsen after the game against the Bucks and he was unavailable on Thursday against New Orleans. It's an injury that's often called a groin strain.
"I think he was experiencing some tightness here for a little bit, but nothing more than tightness," coach Billy Donovan said before the game. "I don't know if it was a specific play, but definitely started to feel it a little bit more than just being tight after the game. He didn't think it was anything too severe.
"They got imaging as they always do for all our guys. Nothing significant, certainly there's a strain there. Then this morning going through treatment to see where he was at, the wisest choice was not to push him and have it be something that becomes a little bit more significant."
So it sounds possible DeRozan could be back Saturday in Cleveland, which will be significant for playoff position. This will be the fifth game DeRozan has missed this season. He spent three games in health and safety protocols in December, then took a rest day when the Bulls won in Oklahoma City on Jan. 24.
New Orleans was missing Brandon Ingram for the ninth straight game with right hamstring soreness. Power forward Larry Nance Jr., who has been out since Jan. 5 recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, made his Pelicans debut Thursday. He was traded from Portland while recovering from the injury.
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