Chicago got hit with a pair of significant injuries against Minnesota.
The Bulls fell to the Timberwolves on Monday night, but an extra game in the loss column is not Chicago's biggest worry.
Billy Donovan lost both members of his starting backcourt in the Bulls' 136-101 defeat to the Timberwolves, as both Coby White and Josh Giddey left with injuries and did not return.
With 5:25 remaining in the first quarter, White walked back to the locker room with an apparent right calf injury. White missed the first 11 games of the season due to a strain of the same calf, which he suffered this summer. Including his rehab to ease him into full-time play, White has been inactive for a total of 16 games for Chicago.
The Bulls remained close with Minnesota, leading for much of the second before the Timberwolves took a five-point lead into the break. Giddey came up limping on the opening possession of the third quarter, and after grabbing at his left hamstring, the Australian point guard went to the locker room.
Both White and Giddey were ruled out for the remainder of the game. White finished with two assists and did not attempt a shot in 6:35 of game time. Giddey played just under 18 minutes, totaling 11 points, four rebounds and three assists while shooting 3-of-10 from the floor.
The absence of Chicago's starting backcourt took the air out of the United Center, as well as the Bulls that remained in the game. Minnesota outscored the Bulls by 12 in the third quarter en route to the Wolves' 35-point victory.
White is now in his seventh year in the NBA, entirely in Chicago. The 25-year-old point guard is averaging 19.2 points, 4.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game, though his shooting has slumped to just 32.4% from deep. White will be an unrestricted free agent next summer and has been the subject of trade rumors around the NBA.
Giddey has started 30 of the Bulls' 32 games and is experiencing a breakout campaign. Amid his fifth NBA season — second in the Windy City — the former Thunder guard is on track to earn his first All-Star nod with career-highs across the board. Giddey is averaging 19.2 points, 9.0 assists and 8.9 rebounds per game while shooting 46.6% overall and 38.6% from three.
Without White or Giddey, Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting against Minnesota. Matas Buzelis, Jalen Smith and Tre Jones finished with 13, 12 and 11 points, respectively.