Dosunmu, Drummond out for Bulls-76ers with injuries

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Good news for Chicago Bulls fans: After missing Friday's 129-124 loss to the San Antonio Spurs with left knee injury management, Zach LaVine is back in the lineup for Saturday's home matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Bad news: Two other rotational cogs, who each sustained injuries in the Spurs game, are out.

Ayo Dosunmu, with a thoracic contusion, and Andre Drummond, with a left shoulder sprain, will each miss their first game of the season on Saturday.

Dosunmu entered concussion protocol Friday night after taking a fall on a drive and banging his head on Spurs forward Keldon Johnson's knee. He cleared concussion protocol and briefly returned in the fourth quarter of the game — he sustained the injury early in the third — but was soon after pulled by head coach Billy Donovan.

Although Dosunmu was listed as probable for the 76ers game throughout the day, his symptoms did not subside enough to play.

"He's just got discomfort in his neck and upper back, and just (is having) a really hard time mobility wise turning and moving his neck," Donovan said of Dosunmu.

Drummond also sustained his injury in the third quarter of the Spurs game after hitting the deck hard on a shooting foul by Spurs forward Zach Collins. The Bulls' reserve center, who appeared to be in considerable discomfort, stayed in the game to finish his best performance of the season to date, notching 17 points, 14 rebounds and 3 steals in 23 minutes, which included closing time.

"Right now it's a shoulder sprain," Donovan said. "We're fortunate it was nothing more than that. I would imagine a few days, it's not something the medical guys seem too concerned about."

That is the hope. For now, the team must soldier on without them, a challenge in a game they will need to contend with Joel Embiid in the frontcourt, and James Harden and Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt.

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