The Chicago Bulls are starting to find their rhythm, having won five of their last seven. Their latest win was against the Miami Heat, 124-116.
The victory should be something Bulls fans should feel happy about, but there is not much to celebrate if you lose one of your key players in the process.
The Bulls will continue dealing with an Alex Caruso injury after the guard went down in the first quarter. He played just under five minutes in total and scored six points with +11 plus/minus.
Bulls personnel said the guard hurt his ankle, the same injury he was nursing in the recent past, and why he sat out the games against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets this week.
Latest on Alex Caruso injury
There is no timeline yet for when Alex Caruso will be able to return. Coach Billy Donovan said a collision with teammate Nikola Vucevic caused the injury. The center stepped on Caruso after they simultaneously tried to defend Duncan Robinson during the seventh-minute mark of the game.
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The injury he had just rehabbed was re-aggravated, according to the coach.
Caruso remained in the venue and was spotted walking in the locker room without a limp.
Earlier this month, Donovan raved about Caruso's role in the team to the point that he called for the player's All-Star consideration.
"For me, he should definitely be considered into the All-Star Game. In my opinion, in terms of the impact that he makes, I would think that he should be considered," the coach said on December 7.
Alex Caruso injury history
The NBA champion started the 2023-2024 season with an elbow injury that made him miss several games.
He was officially cleared to play on November 8, but on November 11, he had to miss games again because of a toe injury.
On December 8, it was his ankle that derailed his comeback. He stepped on the foot of teammate Coby White during the win against the San Antonio Spurs. It occurred during the 10th-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
Lengthy absences
Injuries have marred Caruso's tenure with the Bulls. The most notable was a fractured right wrist caused by the flagrant foul by Grayson Allen, who was still playing for the Bucks in January 2022.
The 2016 undrafted guard was forced out of the game and had to undergo surgery, making him miss six to eight weeks. Grayson Allen was ejected and was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 infraction.
In 2021, Caruso went in and out of the injured players list. Bulls just acquired the 6'4 guard, but playing consistently became a problem because of a toe injury he still deals with today.
Caruso missed at least two weeks in December 2021 after hurting his foot against the Houston Rockets.
Impact of Alex Caruso's injury
Caruso was rested against the Bucks and the Nuggets, and the Bulls lost both games. The defensive tenacity and basketball IQ have been crucial for the Chicago Bulls, who also deal with the absence of star player Zach Lavine.
It will not be surprising if the Bulls start losing again with Caruso out.
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