Zach LaVine to undergo further evaluation on ankle injury

ByMalika Andrews ESPN logo
Sunday, December 16, 2018

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine will miss at least two games and is set to undergo further evaluation on his injured left ankle, coach Jim Boylen said Saturday.

Boylen saidLaVine has a sprained deltoid ligament. The coach said he did not have any definitive timetable yet.

"Zach LaVine had a MRI last night and flew home this morning to consult with other specialists," Boylen said. "We will create a plan of action [when we know more]. Hopeful for a good evaluation. He will not play tonight or Monday."

Boylen said Saturday night that he had texted with LaVine.

"He's home resting. He wished us well." Boylen said before the Bulls' game against the San Antonio Spurs. "I don't know if they've been able to get a hold of the specialists or not yet to just get all the information. So we're still waiting on that."

The Bulls face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday to finish a two-game road trip.

LaVine suffered the injury during the Bulls' Thursday night loss to the Orlando Magic in Mexico City. Boylen said LaVine is in a walking boot.

LaVine, who is averaging 23.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, is the team's leading scorer.

He also spoke with Boylen one-on-one last weekend after some Bulls players mulled over the idea of skipping practice because of their frustration with the coach's substitution usage and comments about the team. LaVine said the meeting gave him a chance to "elaborate on thoughts."

This is just the latest injury to plague the Bulls' starting lineup. Lauri Markkanen (elbow) and Kris Dunn (knee) missed the first two months of the season, although both players have returned to the team this month.

ESPN's Michael C. Wright contributed to this report.