The Chicago Bulls revealed a couple of key updates on two players before their Summer League game Monday against the Indiana Pacers at Cox Pavilion. The Bulls sat Matas Buzelis during their game Saturday against the Sacramento Kings after he was dinged up against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.
Bulls rookie Noa Essengue suffered a leg injury against the Kings and had to exit the game in the third quarter. He limped back to the bench but did not return to the game, and Chicago was unsure on Saturday night if he’d be available for Monday’s contest.
Per the Bulls, Buzelis and Essengue are in the starting lineup for Monday’s game, revealing a positive update on their second-year forward and the No. 12 pick in this year’s draft.
Matas Buzelis is back in the starting lineup for the Summer Bulls tonight vs. Indiana.@MotorolaUS | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/BImsG7jaYF
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) July 14, 2025
The Chicago Bulls’ plans for Matas Buzelis
Essengue finished Friday night’s game with five points, three rebounds, no assists, and three steals in the Bulls’ 116-72 loss to the Raptors. He was a minus-34 on the court during his 24 minutes of play in the Bulls’ Summer League opener. He added 12 points, 10 rebounds, and one assist (minus-four on the court) before leaving Saturday night’s game.
Monday night’s game might be the last Summer League action for Buzelis. Per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls planned to start Buzelis in only two games this month.
“The original plan for forward Matas Buzelis, the Bulls’ first-round pick in 2024, was to play in the first two games, then shut it down, but because of how physical the Raptors played him, he was held out of the second game, and the hope was to have him back Monday against the Pacers,” Cowley wrote.
Buzelis recorded 17 points, five rebounds, and one assist against the Raptors on Friday night. He was a minus-23 on the court.
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