Lonzo Ball should be well rested when he plays in front of home fans for the first time since January 2022 in the Chicago Bulls’ home opener Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
As part of a pre-scripted plan to ease him back onto the court after he underwent three surgeries on his left knee, Ball was held out of the Bulls’ 133-122 win at Milwaukee on the first night of a back-to-back Friday.
Coby White paced Chicago with 35 points, two days after the Bulls opened the season with a 123-111 road loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Ball began his comeback with five points and four assists in 14 minutes off the bench in New Orleans. It was his first NBA game in 1,013 days since he had 15 points in a home loss to Golden State on Jan. 14, 2022.
Ball said he felt well after the season opener and acknowledged he’s on board with the organization’s plan to put him on an early minutes limit.
“I’m just happy to be on the court,” he said. “I always want to be out there. But I’ve got to listen to the staff, my team and try to go with the best path forward.”
Saturday’s matchup with the Thunder will be the first since the clubs made a headlines-grabbing trade in the offseason, with Josh Giddey going to Chicago and Alex Caruso joining Oklahoma City.
Considered to be a foundation piece for the Thunder when the Australian was made the sixth overall pick of the 2021 draft, Giddey displayed his all-around game in Chicago’s two opening road contests, accumulating a combined 31 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in 55 minutes.
Caruso, likewise, made his Thunder debut on the road, helping Oklahoma City limit Denver Nuggets standout guard Jamal Murray to 12 points on 4-for-13 shooting from the field as the visitors eased to a surprisingly easy 102-87 victory.
The defensive-minded Caruso had just two points in the win, but his six rebounds, four assists and work on Murray helped him run up a plus-19 plus/minus in just 19 minutes.
Not surprisingly, Caruso said he plans to take a focused approach to his homecoming.
“I had three really good years with that team and formed a lot of good relationships, so it will be fun to go back,” he said. “But obviously, you know, we’ll be there for business to try and get a win.”
Giddey and Caruso went head-to-head twice last season, with Giddey gaining a 26-18 scoring advantage. The Thunder won both games, as they did the only two times Giddey and Caruso squared off during the 2022-23 season.
The last time Chicago beat Oklahoma City was in February 2022, the month after Ball suffered his knee injury.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 28 points, and Chet Holmgren posted a 25-point, 14-rebound double-double in the Thunder’s win at Denver.
