Bulls guard Lonzo Ball starts first game in almost three years
Before Sunday, it had been almost three years since guard Lonzo Ball started for the Bulls.
Ball started his first game since Jan. 14, 2022, in the Bulls’ 124-119 loss to the Kings. The front office likely didn’t anticipate his next start wouldn’t come until this season, but a knee injury that required three surgeries changed those plans.
It was appropriate that Ball’s return to the starting lineup came in forward DeMar DeRozan’s return to the United Center after the Bulls sent him to the Kings in a three-team sign-and-trade during the offseason.
‘‘I like him more on our side, in our uniform, but he still looks pretty good in the black and purple,’’ Ball said of DeRozan.
Ball said it was a privilege to be able to start again for the Bulls.
‘‘[I’m] thankful for everybody that stuck with me, appreciative of the organization for riding with me the whole way and just seeing it all come full circle,’’ he said.
Ball is hopeful his minutes will continue to increase, but he also understands he needs to be careful, given his injury history. He scored 15 points and had three assists in 26 minutes Sunday.
Ball said he and the Bulls might revisit his minutes after the All-Star break, but he’s confident he still can leave his mark on a game in the playing time he’s getting.
‘‘Whatever you need from him, he’s always ready to play,’’ coach Billy Donovan said.
LaVine’s streak
Guard Zach LaVine extended his streak of 30-point games to six with a 36-point effort against the Kings.
LaVine looks as confident as ever. He knows how opponents are going to guard him and reacts accordingly, looking for teammates to set screens or posting up if a smaller player is defending him.
‘‘He’s really doing a great job of being decisive, recognizing how he’s being guarded,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘He was blitzed a lot [early], trapped a lot, and he made the right plays, whether it was in to [center Nikola Vucevic] in the pocket versus traps or finding ways to get downhill.
‘‘I’ve always said this about Zach: He’s incredibly unselfish and willing to pass the ball. Against different traps and double-teams, he generally generates a shot for somebody else or gets it to somebody that can create something.’’
LaVine also had 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season, his most since the 2020-21 season.
Injury update
Guard Coby White missed the game with a neck injury. He suffered the injury Friday against the Wizards, and Donovan said his neck was stiff Saturday.
Guard Ayo Dosunmu hasn’t played since Dec. 23 because of a calf injury, but his return is near.
‘‘We’ve gotten a really good response from the ramp-up,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘There’s a few more days they want to continue on that, just to see how he responds. With some of the hurdles we’ve wanted him to cross, he’s responded pretty well.’’