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Jamal Collier, ESPN
CHICAGO – An MRI confirmed that Bulls cover Lonzo Ball has a grade 1 and grade 2 sprain in his right wrist, which will cause him to be sidelined for at least 10 days.
Ball suffered the surprise moment preparing for a near fall on a robbery attempt in the first quarter of Monday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
“If I play with it right now while it’s still swollen, it could get to a Grade 3. That would require surgery,” Ball said at the time, wearing a brace to immobilize his wrist. “I’m obviously trying to avoid that. Let the swelling go down, hopefully cover it with tape and get back to it.”
Ball prepared for the upcoming fall looking to steal a presumed move for Memphis’ Jake LaRavia. He felt discomfort in his wrist at halftime, but removed some tape and played through the pain. He finished with six points and six assists in 18 minutes before undergoing an MRI on Tuesday.
“I felt it, but my adrenaline was going down,” Ball said. “I was trying to win the game. But it wasn’t really anything that stopped me, so hopefully I can finish it as soon as possible and get back out there.”
Ball, 27, has appeared in three games this season, his first NBA action since January 2022, his closest to undergoing more than one surgery on his left knee. He is averaging 4.7 points, 3.7 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 15.7 minutes so far this season.
The team was expected to get him back into action, protecting him from consecutive backs and reducing his workload throughout practice. So far, Ball has not had any problems with his knee.
The shock to the wrist is a setback, but the team does not believe the shock will last long.
“It’s unfortunate timing, but it happens,” Ball said. “I hope to get over it as quickly as possible and get back to business.”
