The 23-25 Chicago Bulls will look to, well, lose a fourth straight contest on Saturday night as they continue their three-game mini-series against the 26-23 Miami Heat. That’s because the Bulls are sitting several key players for the first game of a back-to-back Miami slate. Or maybe they’re sitting people to preserve their bodies ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. Who can say?
According to a recent NBA injury report, Chicago will be missing a boatload of players against Miami on Saturday.
Usual suspects Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and non-rotation rookie Noa Essengue remain shelved, of course.
But joining them will be Josh Giddey (left hamstring injury management) and Jalen Smith (right calf tightness). It’s worth noting that the Bulls have gone 0-7 in the games Smith sits, and did drop Thursday’s Heat bout when Smith left for good prior to the second half. Shooting guard Coby White (right calf injury management) and center Nikola Vucevic (rest) are both doubtful to play.
So head coach Billy Donovan is about to get creative with his starting lineup choices. Barring him going mega-small ball at center with Patrick Williams or Julian Phillips, I think he may give a certain rookie a spin there to start.
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesGame Info
Chicago Bulls (23-25) at Miami Heat (26-23) – 7:00 p.m. CT on Chicago Sports Network (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio)
Chicago Bulls
Ayo Dosunmu Kevin Huerter Isaac Okoro Matas Buzelis Lachlan OlbrichMiami Heat
Kasparas Jakucionis Jaime Jaquez Jr. Andrew Wiggins Pelle Larsson Bam Adebayo Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesGame Lines
The Heat are somehow just a 6.5-point favorite against the depleted Bulls, in Miami, at DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Heat Outlast Ayo Dosunmu, Bulls in First of 3 Straight Clashes, 116-113 — Jan 29, 2026What To Watch For
It’s about to be Ayo Dosunmu Time again for Chicago. The hometown kid almost singlehandedly brought the Bulls back from the brink in a late fourth quarter rally against the Heat on Thursday. Although Chicago fell just short, Dosunmu enjoyed a big night. He scored 15 of his 23 points in the frame. During a career year, the 6-foot-4 University of Illinois and Morgan Park product has been averaging 14.8 points while slashing .512/.441/.856 shooting splits, 3.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 0.7 steals a night. He’ll look to put the Bulls on his back again — boosting those numbers but hopefully maintaining that efficiency — as rival clubs scout him with the Feb. 5 deadline looming. Kevin Hurter enjoyed a big night on Thursday after two very limited showings against Los Angeles and Indiana. Playing 33 minutes thanks to the Giddey absence, Red Velvet scored 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the floor (4-of-9 from deep) and 1-of-2 shooting from the foul line, while also grabbing 10 boards. The 6-foot-6 Maryland product is often glossed over in trade talks, but he has an $18 million expiring contract that could in theory net some value for rival clubs seeking cap space. Could the Bulls get a high second-rounder for Huerter, especially if they overplay him until the deadline? Matas Buzelis often thrives when Giddey sits. Even though they don’t play the same position, they have overlapping skill sets a bit, as both like to drive downhill with a head of steam and dictate terms of the offense from the paint. Look for him to do better than his 16-point performance on Thursday, achieved on a lackluster 6-of-15 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 shooting from the charity stripe. With top scoring guards Norman Powell and Tyler Herro both out, it will be fascinating to see how Erik Spoelstra redistributes their offense. I’m predicting that Jaime Jaquez Jr., normally a small forward, gets the starting two-guard nod, but it’s certainly also possible that center Kel’el Ware gets returned to the first five and everyone gets shifted down a position. Rookie former Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis, the No. 20 pick last summer, has quietly emerged as a solid rotation piece for Spoelstra already. He was held to no points on 0-of-1 shooting in 12 minutes during the Bulls game Thursday, but on the year has been averaging a still-modest 4.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists across 15.1 minutes per. The shooting may not be there yet, but he’s done enough to warrant a real role.Injury Report
Chicago Bulls
Zach Collins OUT (right first toe) Noa Essengue OUT (left shoulder) Josh Giddey OUT (left hamstring) Tre Jones OUT (left hamstring) Jalen Smith OUT (right calf) Nikola Vucevic DOUBTFUL (rest) Coby White DOUBTFUL (right calf) Emanuel Miller PROBABLE (migraine)Miami Heat
Tyler Herro OUT (ribs) Davion Mitchell OUT (left shoulder) Norman Powell OUT (personal) Terry Rozier OUT (away from team) Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesHence then, the article about pre gamin bulls at heat 7 00 ct projected lineups how to watch more was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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