The Chicago Bulls will be without their most experienced player as they fight for an Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Dwyane Wade will miss the rest of the regular season after an MRI revealed a small fracture and a sprain in his right elbow.
The 35-year-old suffered the injury Wednesday during the fourth quarter of Chicago’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. He already has missed 11 games in his first season with the Bulls after spending his first 13 seasons with the Miami Heat. Chicago has 14 games remaining on its schedule.
“It wasn’t the worst-case scenario,” Wade told reporters after Thursday’s practice, per ESPN.com. “Not a good scenario. But kind of what I thought. I told them that I heard a ‘pop, pop,’ and I kind of said that (Wednesday night), and it was pretty much a dislocation at the time, and it went back in, so kind of dealing with the aftermath of what that looks like. This is what it looks like.”
The Bulls entered Thursday sitting in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind the Detroit Pistons, who occupy the eighth and final playoff spot. The Pistons and Heat both have 33-35 records, while the Bulls are 32-36.
Wade, who’s averaging 18.6 points per game this season, said he will play in the playoffs if the Bulls make it and he’s cleared by doctors.
Thumbnail photo via Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports Images
