Mavs’ P.J. Washington Out, Dereck Lively II Doubtful vs. Bulls

Washington, Lively Injuries Open Up Opportunity for Other Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks will be without two key players when they take on the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. Forward P.J. Washington is out with a right ankle sprain, while center Dereck Lively II is doubtful with a left knee contusion. Washington’s absence will create a void in the Mavericks’ frontcourt. The 6-foot-7 forward has averaged 10.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this season. He has also been a solid defender, averaging 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Lively’s absence would be a bigger blow to the Mavericks. The 7-foot-1 center has emerged as a key contributor in recent weeks, averaging 12.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game in his last five starts. The Mavericks will have to find a way to replace the production of Washington and Lively if they want to beat the Bulls. They could turn to Dwight Powell or Marquese Chriss to fill the void at power forward, and they could start JaVale McGee at center. The Mavericks are currently 29-26 and in sixth place in the Western Conference. The Bulls are 26-28 and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

Bulls Look to Take Advantage of Mavs’ Injuries

The Bulls will be looking to take advantage of the Mavericks’ injuries when they visit Dallas on Wednesday night. The Bulls have won three of their last four games, and they will be looking to extend that streak against a short-handed Mavericks team. The Bulls will be led by DeMar DeRozan, who is averaging 26.3 points per game this season. Zach LaVine is also a key player for the Bulls, averaging 24.3 points per game. The Bulls will be looking to exploit the Mavericks’ lack of size in the frontcourt. The Bulls have two 7-footers in Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond, and they will likely try to use their size to their advantage. The Bulls will also be looking to take advantage of the Mavericks’ lack of experience. The Mavericks have several young players in their rotation, and the Bulls will likely try to test them early and often. The Bulls are confident that they can beat the Mavericks, even if they are without Washington and Lively. The Bulls have a lot of talent, and they are playing with a lot of confidence right now.