The Chicago Bulls will see a familiar face in street clothes tonight.
In the hours leading up to their meeting with the Utah Jazz at the United Center, former Bulls big man Lauri Markkanen was trending in the wrong direction. He entered the day as questionable with an illness before being downgraded to doubtful. Then, around 2:00 p.m. CT, the Jazz officially declared The Finnisher as out for this evening’s bout.
Utah will now take the floor without one of the NBA’s top scorers. Markkanen has put together a career year thus far, averaging 27.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. These high marks have even come despite a slightly lower-than-normal shooting clip from downtown. He has gone 36.5 percent from deep on nearly 8.0 attempts a night. Nevertheless, Markkanen has made up for the dip in efficiency with more trips to the free throw line than ever before.
Nov 16, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward/center Lauri Markkanen (23) calls to his teammate during overtime against the Chicago Bulls at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images | Peter Creveling-Imagn Images
Speaking of which, Markkanen’s well-rounded scoring ability has already been on full display against Chicago this season. He dropped 47 points on the Bulls during their double-OT meeting in November. He shot 15-33 from the field and 11-13 from the charity stripe. With limited defensive options at the wing, the big man took advantage.
With that in mind, there is no question his absence tonight makes this a far more winnable game for Chicago. The Jazz are 0-5 without Markkanen this year. His most recent missed game was on January 10, when the Jazz proceeded to lose 150-95 to the Charlotte Hornets.
As for the Bulls, not much has changed. They sat Coby White on Tuesday night in anticipation of this evening’s backend of the back-to-back. He will return to the floor and the starting lineup after posting 22 points against the Mavericks this weekend. For what it’s worth, one of White’s best performances of the season came against the Jazz, as he dropped 27 points on a perfect 14-14 outing at the free throw line.
Julian Phillips also entered the day as questionable with a wrist injury. The forward did not play against Houston and will now sit out again against the Jazz. The severity of the injury remains unclear, and it’s worth noting that he remained outside the rotation for much of the season. Nevertheless, not having the option to turn to his athleticism and length could be an obstacle against a Jazz team with a lot of size at the wing.
Chicago Bulls Injury Report
Julian Phillips – OUT (wrist)
Josh Giddey – OUT (hamstring)
Zach Collins – OUT (toe)
Utah Jazz Injury Report
Lauri Markkanen – OUT (illness)
Walker Kessler – OUT (shoulder)
Kevin Love – OUT (rest)
