Bulls' Buter, Mirotic remain 2-3 weeks away from return

As the Chicago Bulls try and remain among the top eight in the Eastern Conference, they will continue to be without Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic until March at the earliest.

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said Sunday that both are two-to-three weeks away from a return to action; Butler due to a strained knee, Mirotic as he recovers from an appendectomy.

Hoiberg that Mirotic has started running and shooting but is still experiencing pain in his abdomen. But while the Bulls have other frontcourt players to fill in for the forward, Butler's absence is impossible to mitigate. Chicago's best player, Butler leads the team in scoring, steals, and is second in assists.

The Bulls have lost 10 of 14 games going into Sunday's date with the lowly Los Angeles Lakers.