Young to miss crucial Bulls-Hawks game with illness originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Following Monday’s practice at the Advocate Center, Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan called Tuesday’s home game against the Atlanta Hawks that has major ramifications for play-in seedings “an opportunity.”‘
Tuesday’s news turned it into a gift-wrapped one.
The Hawks ruled leading scorer Trae Young out of the game with a non-COVID-related illness. The Hawks already had ruled De’Andre Hunter out with a bone bruise and muscle strain in his left knee. Young averages 26.2 points per game. Hunter averages 15.4.
If the Bulls win, they not only clinch a play-in berth but they’d move ahead of the Hawks by virtue of winning the season series 3-1 and earning the tiebreaker. The Raptors, who currently sit ninth, play the fading Charlotte Hornets on the road.
Patrick Williams said following Tuesday’s morning shootaround that the Bulls are focused on themselves, not other teams.
“We know there are going to be ebbs and flows and swings in the game. Gonna have to manage them and make them as short as possible and combat them with a run of our own,” Williams said, speaking before Young’s status became official. “They have really good players who can score the ball. We have our game. It’s not any extra pressure because we’re more focused on us in terms of what we need to do instead of them.”
Young has scored 19, 34 and 21 points in the first three meetings against the Bulls, two of which were decided by buzzer-beaters. AJ Griffin won an overtime game at the buzzer for the Hawks, while Ayo Dosunmu putback DeMar DeRozan’s miss for a Bulls’ road victory. The Bulls won handily at home in the third meeting.
Young has also averaged 11 assists in the three games, but he struggled from the floor, shooting just 20-for-58.
Nevertheless, his pick-and-roll and passing savvy, not to mention his floater game, relentlessly puts pressure on opposing defenses.
This will be the Bulls’ first meeting since the Hawks replaced Nate McMillan with Quin Snyder as coach.
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