
Don’t look now, but the Chicago Bulls are one of only seven undefeated teams in the NBA. Sure, they’re 1-0, so the label is more for shock value than substance—but that doesn’t make their victory over the upstart Detroit Pistons any less surprising.
Chicago faced Detroit without last season’s leading scorer, Coby White, who’s been sidelined with a calf strain since August. Initially expected to be ready even for the preseason, it was announced just days before the regular season opener that White would miss at least the Bulls’ first six games.
Still, without White, the Bulls pulled off the upset behind impressive performances from Matas Buzelis, Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter, and the recently turned 35-year-old Nikola Vucevic.
Orlando will be without Jalen Suggs against Chicago
On the other side, the Orlando Magic will also be without a key player: their starting point guard and top perimeter defender, Jalen Suggs. Suggs, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last March, returned for the Magic’s regular-season opener but won’t be available tonight for the second half of a back-to-back
Through Orlando’s first two games, Suggs has been impressive, averaging 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in just 18 minutes per contest. He’s gone 10-of-12 from the field and 5-of-6 from three, leading all Magic players in both field goal and three-point percentage.
Missing Suggs will be a blow for Orlando, but like Chicago, they have a capable reserve. Without Suggs, Tyus Jones is expected to make his first start of the season. Jones, Tre’s brother, has only totaled four points and five assists so far, but he’s long been recognized as a reliable backup floor general.
Given that the Bulls started 6-foot-1 Tre Jones against Detroit, starting Tyus over 6-foot-7 guard Anthony Black makes sense. While Black has played better through two games, he isn’t at the same level as a table-setter as Jones.
Additionally, the Magic will be without reserve big man Moritz Wagner, another sibling who would have added an interesting subplot to this matchup. Wagner tore his ACL last season and isn’t expected back anytime soon, but Orlando does have a capable backup in Goga Bitadze.
Full injury report for Chicago Bulls vs Orlando Magic
The complete injury report for tonight’s game is as follows:
Chicago Bulls
Out: Zach Collins (Left Scaphoid Fracture), Coby White (Right Calf Strain).
Orlando Magic
Out: Jalen Suggs (Left Knee Injury Management), Moritz Wagner (Left Knee Injury Recovery).