Wolves coach Tom Thibodeau this afternoon faces the Bulls franchise for which he once coached for the second time since both sides moved on.
He'll do so against a Bulls team missing four players, including Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade and Nikola Mirotic.
Butler still has soreness in his heel. He missed three games because of it on a six-game road trip that ends for the Bulls today and he played 30 minutes Friday in Phoenix and it's bothering him again after that game.
Wade fell on both wrists in Phoenix. The left still is sore, his right shooting wrist is swollen and he didn't even shoot before this afternoon's rare 2:30 p.m. start.
Reserve forward Paul Zipser is out, too, and is back at the hotel vomiting, Bulls coach and former Wolves player/executive Fred Hoiberg said.
"He thinks it might something he ate," Hoiberg said. "Bad walleye or something."
Depleted so, the Bulls will start guards Jerian Grant and Michael Carter-Williams, forwards Doug McDermottt and Taj Gibson and center Robin Lopez.
The Wolves will go with their usual five, including Brandon Rush at big guard while Zach LaVine continues to go his pre-hab for upcoming ACL knee surgery.
