Lonzo Ball Stats Tonight: How did the Bulls star fare against Timberwolves (Oct. 16) | 2024 NBA preseason
Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan called Lonzo Ball off the bench to relieve Josh Giddey with 6:08 in the first quarter. The crowd at United Center gave Ball a standing ovation as he walked to the official’s table to get into the game. Before playing against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, he had not seen action since Jan. 14, 2022, due to a stubborn knee injury.
The No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA draft immediately made an impact. He went 2-for-2 from deep and ran the Bulls offense with efficiency. Ball played five minutes in the first quarter and finished with six points and one assist. After more than 1,000 days recovering from three knee procedures that included a cartilage transplant, the point guard had a rousing return.
Lonzo Ball did not start the second quarter but came in with a little over eight minutes left in the period. He did not add more to his points but contributed with his playmaking and defense. The home fans roared when he blocked Timberwolves star Julius Randle's layup.
"Zo" started the third quarter and went 2-for-4. He missed a 24-footer and a mid-range jumper before making two layups. He continued running the Bulls' offense until he was taken out by Zach LaVine with 1:09 remaining in the game.
Lonzo Ball's stats against the Minnesota Timberwolves:
Chicago Bulls to ease Lonzo Ball's return in regular season
As encouraging as Lonzo Ball's first game since 2022, the Chicago Bulls are determined to ease him back into the action. Bulls coach Billy Donovan announced before the preseason started that Ball would not play in back-to-back regular season games.
Donovan also told reporters that the team would monitor his minutes. In his first game for the Bulls in more than two years, "Zo" played 15 minutes. The coach did not say how many minutes the point guard would average but he would be limited.
Arturas Karnisovas, the Bulls president of basketball operations, expects Ball to play in Chicago's season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 23. If the former Pelican gets the clearance to play, Donovan will monitor his minutes.