Bench Carries Bulls Past Bucks, Wolves Visit With Questions of Their Own

Bench outworks the starters. Wednesday's 125-104 win over Milwaukee leaned on Chicago's reserves: Leonard Miller put up 18 points and seven boards in 19 minutes, Jaylin Sellers added 10, and the bench's 59 points nearly matched the 66 the starters put up. Matas Buzelis led everyone with 19 on 5-for-7 shooting from deep.

Jones, Essengue get ink. The Chicago Sun-Times reported Wednesday that Tre Jones sees this year's second unit as loaded with weapons and talent. The same paper reported forward Noa Essengue is looking to prove he can play physical, the latest of several outlets tracking depth battles since camp opened.

Three names back tonight. Isaac Okoro, Tobe Awaka and Zach Collins are each estimated to be back tonight after sitting out with an undisclosed issue, a knee and a toe respectively. All three missed the Bucks win; tonight tests whether the timelines hold.

Claxton's return lines up. Nic Claxton has been out since October 5 with a hamstring issue, and the return date on file is October 21, the same night Chicago opens the regular season at Toronto. No later update has surfaced.

Dosunmu returns in Wolves colors. Ayo Dosunmu, dealt away in last season's trade deadline haul, is back in Chicago tonight wearing Minnesota colors. He's questionable with a rest issue, one of four Timberwolves - Donte DiVincenzo, Rocco Zikarsky and Enrique Freeman the others - not fully available.

Minnesota brings real numbers. Minnesota won 49 games last season behind Anthony Edwards' 28.8 points a game and a net rating of plus-3.1, a group built around Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert. Both teams sit 0-0 tonight, and this one still won't touch either record.