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Chicago Bulls shooting guard DeMar DeRozan has suffered a Grade 1 thigh strain, according to head coach Billy Donovan. DeRozan has been dealing with quad and hip issues recently, but has played through the pain as the Bulls try to elevate themselves in the Eastern Conference. DeRozan is unlikely to play Wednesday against the Pacers, and his status for Thursday’s game against the Bucks isn’t looking great either.
DeMar DeRozan underwent an MRI and it showed a Grade 1 thigh strain, per Donovan.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 14, 2023
DeRozan is Chicago’s leading scorer, averaging 25.4 points per game. He hasn’t been able to hit the highs of last season but is maintaining stellar production amid a lot of team turmoil. The Bulls didn’t make moves at the trade deadline and will have to make up DeRozan’s production with what they have on the roster. Zach LaVine, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are the most obvious candidates to step up if DeRozan misses extended time.
The fortunate news for Chicago is this injury happened right before the All-Star break. DeRozan is going to have some time to recover from this injury, and he’s probably not going to play in the All-Star Game Sunday.