Los Angeles Lakers vs Chicago Bulls injury report: Who's playing, injured and questionable players, head-to-head records, team stats, and more(January 26, 2026)

The Los Angeles Lakers visit Chicago on January 26 to face the Bulls in a game shaped by injuries, travel problems, and recent form. A winter storm has complicated travel, and both teams arrive short-handed. The Lakers are 27–17 and coming off a 116–110 win over Dallas. The Bulls are 23–22 and have won four straight.Los Angeles is trying to build consistency after an uneven stretch. Chicago is doing the opposite, using strong home performances to stay competitive in the East. With key players missing on both sides, this matchup is likely to come down to who handles limited rotations better.Injuries will play a major role in how this game unfolds.Austin Reaves is out with a calf strain, leaving a gap in the Lakers’ guard rotation. Adou Thiero is also out with a right MCL sprain, further reducing frontcourt depth. Jake LaRavia is questionable due to a left quad contusion and illness after scoring 13 points in his last game. If LaRavia does not play, the Lakers will lean even more on Luka Doncic to run the offense and log heavy minutes.Chicago Bulls will be without Tre Jones, who is sidelined with a left hamstring strain. Zach Collins is also out with a right first toe sprain, weakening the Bulls’ interior depth. Noa Essengue remains a long-term absence as he continues recovery from shoulder surgery. Yuki Kawhi and Emanuel Miller are unavailable due to G-League rules.With those players out, Chicago will lean on Nikola Vučević, who is putting up 18.3 points and nine rebounds per game, and Matas Buzelis, who is averaging 16.5 points and giving the team reliable shooting from the outside.This is the first meeting between the teams this season. The Los Angeles Lakers have had a slight edge in recent years, but games in Chicago have often been close. Vucevic has been effective against Los Angeles in past matchups, while Doncic’s passing and shot creation could test a thin Bulls backcourt.Chicago will look to play through Vucevic inside and create clean looks for Buzelis on the perimeter. Los Angeles will depend on Doncic to control the game and manage late possessions. With both teams missing rotation players and scoring well recently, the game projects to be close and relatively high scoring, with execution and depth likely deciding the result.