Bulls forward Noa Essengue moved from out to day-to-day with a head injury on Sunday. The injury report lists Oct. 26 as his expected return, the date of Chicago's game at the Celtics.
What happened
Bulls forward Noa Essengue was upgraded from out to day-to-day on Sunday, Oct. 25, in an update posted at 9:48 AM ET. The injury report lists the issue as head. He was listed as out on Saturday, Oct. 24, after an earlier day-to-day listing that same day. Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic reported that Essengue, 19, would not suit up for Saturday's game against the Wizards. The injury report gives an expected return date of Oct. 26. No other detail on the injury has been announced.
What it means for the Bulls
The Bulls play at the Celtics on Monday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 PM ET, the same date as his expected return. They are 1-2, sit 10th and have lost their last game. Essengue has played two games this season and averages 13.4 minutes, 2.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.5 assists. Chicago is 1-1 with him and 0-1 without him. In games without him, Caleb Wilson averages 34.7 minutes and 22.3 points. Norman Powell averages 29.1 minutes, Josh Giddey 26.1, Matas Buzelis 25.7 and Leonard Miller 23.4. Jalen Smith, Isaac Okoro and Tre Jones each average between 18.6 and 22.6 minutes.
What to watch
The next injury report is not announced. The report lists Oct. 26 as the expected return, so the Celtics game that night is the first test of his status. Chicago has other names on the report too. Nic Claxton is out with a hamstring injury, and Patrick Williams is day-to-day with a groin issue. Watch all three statuses before the 7:30 PM ET tipoff on Monday.
Is Noa Essengue playing at the Celtics?
He is day-to-day with a head injury, and the injury report lists Oct. 26 as his expected return. The Bulls play at the Celtics on Oct. 26 at 7:30 PM ET. A final decision on his availability is not announced.
When will Noa Essengue be back?
The injury report lists an expected return of Oct. 26. No further timeline has been announced.