CHICAGO – Chicago Bulls all-star Zac Lavin underwent an MRI on Tuesday in which he plans to play due to a sprain in his left thumb.
According to Bulls coach Billy Donovan, Lavin taped his thumb during Bulls practice on Wednesday, where he participated in “some things, but not everything.”
The injury is to his non-shooting arm, which Lavin said he was already jammed before catching in the game during the Bulls’ 111-108 win over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night.
“I think right now I’m just trying to figure out how to manage the pain and keep it safe,” LaVine said Wednesday. “Then going forward, if I consider playing with him, I’ll find out more about it.”
The Bulls did not rule out the possibility of LaVine finally sitting down and resting the injury if the discomfort persisted. However, LaVine plans to play if he just wants to manage the pain and not have to worry about the injury escalating.
Lavin took a few shots and checked with the Bulls assistant coach to see if it was convenient to tape during the game after practicing with his taped thumb on his dribbling.
“I think if he doesn’t get jammed or hit again, he’ll be fine and he’ll be fine,” Donovan said. “But I think that can happen when a guy is playing. Whether he’s in the right position or not [Thursday] if he thinks he’s capable of his hands, we’ll see if he can do things.”
Lavin played out the injury on Monday, but so far it doesn’t seem to have affected his performance. He still leads the Bulls in scoring goals, averaging 25.5 points per game, shooting 50% off the field and 44% off 3.
The Bulls hosted the New York Knicks on Thursday night at the United Center. They are starting with their first 4-0 since the 1996-97 season.
“Obviously I don’t want to put myself in any danger,” Lavin said. “I don’t know everything yet. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow and get out of there. But you know me, I try to play everything. If I can, I’ll do it.”
