FILE – Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls moves against the New Orleans Pelicans at the United Center on October 22, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images/AFP
All-Star guard Zach LaVine and forward Troy Brown became the eighth and ninth members of the Chicago Bulls to enter the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols on Sunday, multiple outlets reported.
The Bulls’ outbreak began Nov. 11, when center Nikola Vucevic tested positive. He missed seven games.
Brown and LaVine join Coby White, Javonte Green, DeMar DeRozan, Matt Thomas, Derrick Jones Jr., Ayo Dosunmu and Stanley Johnson in the protocols.
The Bulls were 8-3 when Vucevic tested positive. Since then, they have managed to stay above .500, going 9-7, and entered Sunday tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
LaVine, 26, played 38 minutes Saturday night in the Bulls’ 102-93 loss to the Miami Heat. He was the game-high scorer with 33 points and added seven rebounds and four assists, marking the third time in the past four games he scored more than 30 points.
On the season, LaVine is averaging 26.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists. He’s started all 27 games the Bulls have played.
Brown, 22, is averaging 4.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 18 games (one start) this season.
The Bulls are scheduled to host the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. As of Sunday, Chicago had nine players available, one more than the minimum required to avoid a postponement.