The Chicago Bulls are currently positioned in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings, closely trailing the 8th seed and just ahead of the 11th seed. Tonight, they face the Charlotte Hornets, a game that could significantly impact their playoff prospects.

However, the Bulls will be without center Nikola Vucevic, who is missing his first game of the season due to illness. Vucevic has been having a standout season, averaging 21.0 points and nearly 10 rebounds per game. In his absence, Jalen Smith is expected to step up and fill the void.