The Chicago Bulls lost their seventh consecutive game to the Toronto Raptors 110-101. It was their first game back from the All-Star break. One thing that stood out was the notable absence of Jaden Ivey.
He didn't play the entire game. Afterward, interim head coach Wes Unseld Jr. explained why that was the case, per Gavin Dorsey of The Roundtable Network. All in all, it came down to basketball and the fact that the Bulls are overloaded with guards. Plus, they had Josh Giddey and Tre Jones both returning after being out with hamstring injuries.
“Strictly a basketball decision,” Unseld said. “It’s really hard to play six guards. I wanted to push to see if I could get Josh and Tre’s minutes up. I think we were comfortable, given where they’ve been.”
He later added, “I just felt those guys gave us the best chance. We had some pretty good stretches, pretty good combinations. He was just the odd man out tonight.”
Ivey arrived in Chicago from the Detroit Pistons as part of the three-way trade that sent Kevin Huerter to Detroit. He has played in four games with Chicago and is averaging 11.5 points per game.
As a result, the Bulls are now 24-32. This weekend, they have back-to-back home games against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday and the New York Knicks on Sunday.
Anfernee Simons led the way with 20 points. Additionally, Isaac Okoro finished with 16 points and five rebounds. Jones had 12 points and six assists. Collin Sexton came away with 11 points.
Meanwhile, Giddey finished with 5 points and was 1-for-7 from the field. Also, Matas Buzelis had only four points but finished with six rebounds.
