Bulls guard Alex Caruso won’t be fully healthy for the first-round playoff series against the Bucks. Coach Billy Donovan said it, and it was apparent Sunday in Game 1. But the Bulls have little choice but to take the approach that Caruso will give them everything he has each game. That’s why Donovan and the medical staff had him on a minutes watch, even though he began the series as a starter. ‘‘He’s felt the best I think he has felt,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘Is he 100%? No, but he’s a lot better than he was those games before he sat out.
Source: Joe Cowley @ Chicago Sun-Times
What’s the buzz on Twitter?
Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Alex Caruso, his back issues, and Grayson Allen … plus an update on Bulls Covid cases.
Playoff notebook full of yummies!
Read it:
chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2022/4/1… – 10:27 PM
Alex Caruso, his back issues, and Grayson Allen … plus an update on Bulls Covid cases.
Playoff notebook full of yummies!
Read it:
chicago.suntimes.com/bulls/2022/4/1… – 10:27 PM
J. Michael Falgoust @ThisIsJMichael
That elbow Caruso took from Portis gave me flashback of Grant Hill’s old Duke teammate Crawford Palmer coming down from a rebound. Nobody like that dude bc he was dirty. Had no feeling in my ear. Didn’t realize it was bc it was detached from my head. Spent the night at ER – 9:09 PM
That elbow Caruso took from Portis gave me flashback of Grant Hill’s old Duke teammate Crawford Palmer coming down from a rebound. Nobody like that dude bc he was dirty. Had no feeling in my ear. Didn’t realize it was bc it was detached from my head. Spent the night at ER – 9:09 PM
Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Brook Lopez and Alex Caruso having a hell of a duel for the title of “best role player the Lakers were stupid enough to lose.” – 8:56 PM
Brook Lopez and Alex Caruso having a hell of a duel for the title of “best role player the Lakers were stupid enough to lose.” – 8:56 PM
Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
Caruso has played 28 mins and dominated the quarter defensively. Donovan took him out, then stuck with White for the offensive possession after the timeout, but they missed and Lopez got the and one. – 8:49 PM
Caruso has played 28 mins and dominated the quarter defensively. Donovan took him out, then stuck with White for the offensive possession after the timeout, but they missed and Lopez got the and one. – 8:49 PM
Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
Alex Caruso has been the best player on the court for the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter. The two teams have combined for 13 points, and he’s just blowing up everything the Bucks want on offense. This is WILD. This is his kind of quarter. – 8:46 PM
Alex Caruso has been the best player on the court for the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter. The two teams have combined for 13 points, and he’s just blowing up everything the Bucks want on offense. This is WILD. This is his kind of quarter. – 8:46 PM
Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Caruso should be able to play the rest of the way. He’s under 29 minutes and medical just wants him to stay away from high 30s. – 8:45 PM
Caruso should be able to play the rest of the way. He’s under 29 minutes and medical just wants him to stay away from high 30s. – 8:45 PM
Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
Holiday and Middleton don’t have a huge advantage in these isolations vs Jones and Caruso. – 8:43 PM
Holiday and Middleton don’t have a huge advantage in these isolations vs Jones and Caruso. – 8:43 PM
Rob Schaefer @rob_schaef
Wow. Giannis just picked up his fifth foul with 8:14 to play. Alex Caruso stepped in and took a charge on a drive late in the shot clock – 8:36 PM
Wow. Giannis just picked up his fifth foul with 8:14 to play. Alex Caruso stepped in and took a charge on a drive late in the shot clock – 8:36 PM
Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
Giannis Antetokounmpo is called for another offensive foul – his fifth. Alex Caruso was waiting for it.
8:14 to go in regulation in this one. – 8:36 PM
Giannis Antetokounmpo is called for another offensive foul – his fifth. Alex Caruso was waiting for it.
8:14 to go in regulation in this one. – 8:36 PM
Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
The level to which the Bulls are better when Alex Caruso is out there is so staggering. He just makes everything so much easier for them on both ends of the court. The defense gets the love, but his ability to drive, handle, pass and make decisions is so big even on offense. – 8:35 PM
The level to which the Bulls are better when Alex Caruso is out there is so staggering. He just makes everything so much easier for them on both ends of the court. The defense gets the love, but his ability to drive, handle, pass and make decisions is so big even on offense. – 8:35 PM
Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
Foul update w/ 5:43 to go the third quarter.
#Bucks
3 – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen
#Bulls
4 – Zach LaVine
3 – Alex Caruso – 8:14 PM
Foul update w/ 5:43 to go the third quarter.
#Bucks
3 – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen
#Bulls
4 – Zach LaVine
3 – Alex Caruso – 8:14 PM
Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
Jrue Holiday picks up his third foul less than two minutes into the third quarter after running into Alex Caruso. – 8:03 PM
Jrue Holiday picks up his third foul less than two minutes into the third quarter after running into Alex Caruso. – 8:03 PM
Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Really rough start for Alex Caruso. Two fouls already, plus he keeps getting stuck in tough mismatches. 0-for-3 on the other end and all of his shots have been 3-pointers. – 7:20 PM
Really rough start for Alex Caruso. Two fouls already, plus he keeps getting stuck in tough mismatches. 0-for-3 on the other end and all of his shots have been 3-pointers. – 7:20 PM
Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
The Bulls have gotten some genuinely great looks from 3-point range, but they’re not falling at all. Alex Caruso whiffs completely to drop the Bulls to 1-for-5 from behind the arc. – 6:51 PM
The Bulls have gotten some genuinely great looks from 3-point range, but they’re not falling at all. Alex Caruso whiffs completely to drop the Bulls to 1-for-5 from behind the arc. – 6:51 PM
Joe Cowley @JCowleyHoops
Caruso gets the starting nod with a minutes restriction in the high 30s. – 6:08 PM
Caruso gets the starting nod with a minutes restriction in the high 30s. – 6:08 PM
Rob Schaefer @rob_schaef
Although Alex Caruso feels better than he has in a while after ~two-week layoff, Billy Donovan says Bulls will closely monitor how he feels during games as he manages back. Trying to keep his minutes below high-30s in Game 1 – 5:07 PM
Although Alex Caruso feels better than he has in a while after ~two-week layoff, Billy Donovan says Bulls will closely monitor how he feels during games as he manages back. Trying to keep his minutes below high-30s in Game 1 – 5:07 PM
Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Alex Caruso will not be under a hard minutes restriction with thise back spasms, but Billy Donovan doesn’t want to let his minutes get into the high 30’s.
“He throws his body out there and plays incredibly hard and physical, so we’ll have to see how he responds. – 5:06 PM
Alex Caruso will not be under a hard minutes restriction with thise back spasms, but Billy Donovan doesn’t want to let his minutes get into the high 30’s.
“He throws his body out there and plays incredibly hard and physical, so we’ll have to see how he responds. – 5:06 PM
Julia Poe @byjuliapoe
Nothing new for the Bulls on the injury report this morning.
Lonzo Ball (knee) and Matt Thomas (lower leg) still out. Rest of the roster good to go.
Bulls hoping the extra rest helped Alex Caruso and Zach LaVine recover more thoroughly for the series. – 9:46 AM
Nothing new for the Bulls on the injury report this morning.
Lonzo Ball (knee) and Matt Thomas (lower leg) still out. Rest of the roster good to go.
Bulls hoping the extra rest helped Alex Caruso and Zach LaVine recover more thoroughly for the series. – 9:46 AM
More on this storyline
“I do think with Alex [that minutes restrictions are] going to be somewhat important. I think if you start pushing him with his back up into the high 30s, I don’t think that would be really, really wise. You want to see how he’s feeling in the game. ‘‘He kind of throws his body in there and plays incredibly hard and physical, so we’ll have to see how he responds. I do think, from a medical standpoint of where he’s at physically, there has been some talk about managing him and his minutes.’’ -via Chicago Sun-Times / April 18, 2022
Rob Schaefer: Alex Caruso (back) was a full participant in a fairly rigorous Bulls practice, per Billy Donovan Donovan said Caruso has conveyed this is “best he’s felt” in a while, and that the games off at end of regular season has him in a good place physically -via Twitter @rob_schaef / April 12, 2022
Rob Schaefer: Zach LaVine (knee) is in vs. Charlotte, Alex Caruso (back) is out, per Billy Donovan -via Twitter @rob_schaef / April 8, 2022