NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bulls can’t seem to swat the injury bug.
Despite Andre Drummond and Ayo Dosunmu returning from their multi-game absences on Wednesday, the Bulls have likely lost their defense ace. Alex Caruso suffered a foot injury in the first quarter after Andre Drummond ran into him at mid-court. The collision forced Caruso to exit the game and head back to the locker room. While he would attempt to return to the game, Caruso was held to just 17 minutes of action and missed the bulk of the second half.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is now reporting that Caruso has a “significant” left ankle sprain. His availability for the Bulls’ next Play-In Tournament matchup is officially in question.
Caruso had dealt with ankle issues earlier this season, and NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson shared that the Bulls are declaring it a re-aggravation of that injury. While we know that Caruso likes to play through his fair share of bumps and bruises, I’ll be shocked if he is able to get back onto the floor in just two days.
Indeed, I think we should all proceed under the assumption that the Bulls will be without Caruso for their battle with the Miami Heat. While this surely sounds concerning, we should also consider that Jimmy Butler’s availability for Friday is also in doubt. The superstar is feared to have suffered an MCL injury, so it’s possible the Heat will also walk into this next do-or-die game with a massive hole in their lineup.
