Lonzo Ball should be well rested when he plays in front of home fans for the first time since January 2022 in the Chicago Bulls’ home opener Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
To help him ease back into playing after having three surgeries on his left knee, Ball was not included in the Bulls’ 133-122 victory at Milwaukee on the first night of a back-to-back on Friday.
Coby White led Chicago with 35 points, two days after the Bulls lost 123-111 to the New Orleans Pelicans in their season opener.
Ball started his return by scoring five points and making four assists in 14 minutes off the bench in New Orleans. It was his first NBA game in 1,013 days since he scored 15 points in a home loss to Golden State on January 14, 2022.
Ball said he felt good after the season opener and acknowledged that he agrees with the team’s plan to limit his minutes early on.
“I’m just happy to be on the court,” he said. “I always want to be out there. But I’ve got to listen to the staff, my team and try to go with the best path forward.”
Saturday’s game against the Thunder will be the first since the teams made a big trade in the offseason, with Josh Giddey going to Chicago and Alex Caruso heading to Oklahoma City.
Considered a key player for the Thunder after being picked sixth in the 2021 draft, Giddey showed his well-rounded skills in Chicago’s first two road games, scoring a total of 31 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and making 12 assists in 55 minutes.
Caruso also made his Thunder debut on the road, helping Oklahoma City hold Denver Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray to just 12 points on 4-for-13 shooting as the team secured a surprising 102-87 win.
The defense-focused Caruso scored only two points in that game, but he contributed six rebounds, four assists, and his defense on Murray helped him achieve a plus-19 plus/minus in just 19 minutes.
Not surprisingly, Caruso mentioned he plans to stay focused for his return.
“I had three really good years with that team and formed a lot of good relationships, so it will be fun to go back,” he said. “But obviously, you know, we’ll be there for business to try and get a win.”
Giddey and Caruso faced each other twice last season, with Giddey outscoring Caruso 26-18. The Thunder won both matches, just like they did in the only other two games between Giddey and Caruso during the 2022-23 season.
The last time Chicago defeated Oklahoma City was in February 2022, the month after Ball injured his knee.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, and Chet Holmgren had a double-double with 25 points and 14 rebounds in the Thunder’s win over Denver.
