(Ankin_Law)

While the Chicago Bulls could welcome back one player on Friday night, they may have to sit out another player.

According to the NBA’s latest official injury report, Coby White has been upgraded to questionable before today’s meeting with the Indiana Pacers. White missed the last two games with a sprained ankle. To Chicago’s credit, they were able to manage without their hot-shot shooter thanks to great contributions from two of his backfield colleagues. Josh Giddey’s triple-double on Monday night helped the Bulls beat the Nets by 26 points, while Ayo Dosunmu’s triple-double against the Spurs led to a 15-point win.

Regardless, White’s return would add another dynamic layer to the Chicago Bulls’ red-hot offense. Chicago held the NBA’s best offensive rating over the last seven games, scoring a league-high 129.9 points per game. White has been one of the NBA’s best shooters this season, hitting 37.8 percent of his 8.7 three-point attempts per game (8th among players making at least 8.0 attempts per game).

Unless White gets the green light in advance, our eyes will turn to Sunday’s clash with the 76ers as a hopeful return date.

Lonzo Ball remains on the Bulls’ injury report and is listed as “questionable” due to treatment for a knee injury. Considering the organization announced before the season that Ball would not play in back-to-back sets, it’s no surprise he sat out Thursday’s win. However, it does mean it’s a little baffling that he’s still listed as “questionable” for the evening. I suspect it will be made available, but we’ll see.

Matas Buzelis is the only other player whose availability is in doubt tonight. The rookie was shot in the face by a friend last night, causing him to leave the field with a bloody nose. Buzelis is now listed as questionable with a bruised nose. Considering he posted a bloody thumbs-up photo on Instagram, it’s safe to say the injury isn’t all that serious. But could this mean we’re seeing a masked Matas?

The last thing worth noting is that Zach LaVine showed up on the injury report with lower back tightness. Luckily, the two-time All-Star is considered likely, but that’s something to keep an eye on this weekend. We all know that back injuries can tend to last longer.

Bulls-Pacers injury report

Bulls

Patrick Williams OUT (foot)
Matas Buzelis QUESTIONABLE (nose)
Lonzo Ball QUESTIONABLE (knee management)
Coby White QUESTIONABLE (ankle)
Zach LaVine PROBABLE (back)

Pacemaker

Isaiah Jackson OUT (Achilles)
James Wiseman OUT (Achilles)
Aaron Nesmith OUT (ankle)
Ben Sheppard OUT (diagonal)
Andrew Nembhard QUESTIONABLE (knee management)