The Chicago Bulls advanced in the NBA play-in tournament on Wednesday night with a 131-116 win over the Atlanta Hawks. However, it wasn't all good for the Bulls. The team has been plagued by injury woes all season long, and of course there had to be more injury trouble during the postseason. Alex Caruso has been fighting injuries all season long, and he got dinged up again on Wednesday when he collided with Andre Drummond.
Alex Caruso tried to come back in and play for the Bulls after he went down with the injury, but he wasn't himself and he ended up sitting for the rest of the game. He explained what happened after Chicago got the win.
“(Drummond) caught me on my right foot that kinda gave out (and) my left one tried to catch me,” Caruso said, according to an article from Yahoo Sports. “Just kind of tweaked my ankle a little bit — that same one I was dealing with for the last couple weeks of the season that we were managing and figuring out.”
The season was on the line on Wednesday night for the Bulls and Caruso is a competitor. Head coach Billy Donovan let him go back in the game, but it was clear that Caruso wasn't good enough to be playing.
“He said to me ‘Listen, I'm gonna try to go here but I'll let you know,'” Billy Donovan said. “I thought he was a little bit hobbled. And then I grabbed him before the third (quarter) started and he said ‘Let me give it one more try.' I just didn't like the way he was moving. I took him off, he didn't ask to come out.”
Now, the Bulls have at least one more game this season as they will take on the Miami Heat on Friday night with a spot in the playoffs on the line. If they win that one, they will get at least four more games. Chicago needs Caruso if they are going to find success.
Alex Caruso expects to play on Friday
Caruso has some healing to do in the next 36 hours, but he does expect to play on Friday against the Heat. He wants to be out there with his teammates, but ultimately, the decision will be made by his body.
“I do (expect to play) until I can't,” Caruso said. “We'll see how it goes in the next couple of days. My mindset is to play until my body tells me that I can't.”
The Bulls and the Heat played in Miami in the play-in tournament last season as well. The Heat ended up winning that game closely, and Chicago wants to avenge that loss this time around.
“Hopefully we can use a little bit of that experience and go in, take care of business,” Caruso said. “We've played close games with them just about every year I've been here at their place. We know what to expect.”
Chicago and Miami will get things going at 7:00 ET on Friday night. The Heat are currently favored by 1.5 points.
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