Bulls' Zach LaVine Considering Rest to Heal Sprained Ankle: ‘It Just Sucks' - NBC Chicago

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LaVine considering rest for injured ankle: 'It just sucks' originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Zach LaVine wants to play, and win, every game on the Bulls' schedule. Rain or shine, nicked or bruised, that's his mentality.

But he also is conscious of when playing through injury is a detriment to the team, or a potential risk to his long-term health.

So after a 12-point outing in Monday's 116-102 loss to the Golden State Warriors in which LaVine shot 4-for-16 and reaggravated the sprained ankle suffered on March 24 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Bulls' All-Star guard sounded resigned to the possibility of rest days moving forward.

"It’s a decision I’m going to have to make coming up, because obviously you guys can tell, I’m not myself," LaVine told reporters after the game. "I’m just trying to go out there and obviously tough it out. But I rolled it a little bit again today, so I’ll figure it out later.”

LaVine said after Saturday's loss to the San Antonio Spurs that the injury became easier to play around as the game wore on, and held firm in his desire to continue competing through it. His tone was completely different Monday.

"I feel I’m back at square one again. So I’m going to have to try to make some adjustments," LaVine said. "Obviously, I’ll do everything I can to get myself ready to go, but I’ll have a conversation going forward (with the Bulls' medical staff) and figure it out.”

LaVine played 32 minutes, but Bulls coach Billy Donovan said postgame that he pulled LaVine off early as the Bulls' win probability fast plummeted in the fourth.

"He never complains. He never says a word," Donovan said. "I just, in my opinion watching him, that’s why I got him off. I just did not like the way he was running. I’ve seen him run now for 40 games. I know what that looks like. And then I kind of can see him coming back. There was a lot of shots that he missed tonight -- and I know on any given night no one’s perfect -- but you know what, that guy is a machine when it comes to shooting the basketball he has not shot it as comfortably.

"Maybe it’s new players and thinking about how to get everybody involved. But he did not appear to be moving at the rate that I think he normally does. But he’s not the kind of guy, and I respect this, his whole thing is ‘If I suit up and step across the lines, I’m playing and there’s no excuses when you play.’ Do I think he’s ailed? Yes, I do think he is."

The Bulls play seven of their next eight games on the road, but don't face a back-to-back until April 8 and 9, leaving some opportunity for LaVine to fully rehabilitate.

Still, it's not an easy decision for someone so singularly focused on the team's playoff push, which could use a jolt after their fourth straight loss Monday. The Bulls currently sit 19-26 and just two games ahead of the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards for 10th in the East, the last spot in the play-in tournament. LaVine is the only Bull to appear in all 45 of the team's games this season.

Urgency to acclimate the team's recent swath of trade deadline acquisitions -- headlined by Nikola Vučević, who is billed as LaVine's long-awaited All-Star running-mate -- likely only adds to that frustration. The Bulls are 0-2 since his arrival, and both losses were dispiriting.

"It just sucks," LaVine said.

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