Chicago Bulls hope for healthy Dosunmu, Drummond for Play-In matchup with Atlanta Hawks
CHICAGO (CBS) – DeMar DeRozan's Instagram story said it all, with a picture of his daughter Diar and one word: Mood.
She was instrumental with her screaming her way to 16 Toronto Raptors missed free throws in last year's Play-In game.
This year, the Bulls may need that help with their Play-In matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.
Center Andre Drummond did not participate ahead of Wednesday's contest. He's missed the last three games with an ankle injury and still had some swelling.
Meanwhile, Ayo Dosunmu has been out four games with a right quad contusion and is hopeful he will play.
"I really wanted to play in New York," Dosunmu said. "But it didn't feel right and it wasn't right timing. So I just asked if I could do a two-minute scrimmage, pretty much get up and down, see how my wind was, see how my movement was."
Having Drummond and Dosunmu available against an Atlanta squad with a healthy Trae Young would be helpful. Dosunmu averaged 21 points in the three-game season series with the Hawks, helping the Bulls win two while often keeping Young in check.
"Probably my length and competitiveness," Dosunmu said. "He's a competitor. So when you put a competitor on a competitor, I think that just makes it fun. Just trying to do pretty much whatever it takes to keep him out of rhythm."
The Bulls will play in front of a home crowd for the first time in a Play-In Tournament game, and they hope to use that to their advantage.
Dosunmu said last year when the Miami Heat ended their season in their second Play-In game, he remembered the environment providing an edge when the Heat went on a 15-1 run down the stretch.