Caruso (concussion) has been ruled out for Wednesday's Game 5 matchup with the Bucks in Milwaukee, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Along with Caruso, the Bulls are also expected to be without Zach LaVine, who entered the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols Tuesday. With two of their backcourt starters out of the lineup, the Bulls are expected to rely more heavily on Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White to fill minutes at the two guard spots. If the Bulls can pull off the upset win on the road Wednesday to stave off elimination, Caruso has a chance at clearing the protocol before Friday's Game 6 matchup.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Still in concussion protocol
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Caruso remains in the NBA's concussion protocols as of Tuesday and didn't travel with the team to Milwaukee, but he hasn't officially been ruled out for Wednesday's Game 5 against the Bucks, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Caruso remained at home to rest during Chicago's practice Tuesday and, given that he isn't traveling with the team, appears doubtful for Game 5, though he's officially listed as questionable. Zach LaVine (COVID-19 protocols) is also unlikely to play in the win-or-go-home matchup, so barring a late change of plans, Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White are both expected to garner major roles.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Remains in concussion protocol
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Caruso remains in the NBA's concussion protocol as of Monday and is considered questionable for Wednesday's Game 5 against the Bucks, KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
The Bulls likely won't issue an official injury report until later in the week, but coach Billy Donovan indicated Monday morning that Caruso is essentially day-to-day while he remains in protocols. The defensive-minded guard will go through daily testing in hopes of being cleared to play, but it's quite possible that he could miss Game 5 after taking an elbow to the face during Sunday's Game 4. Ayo Dosunmu (series-high 29 minutes) was the primary beneficiary after Caruso departed Sunday's contest.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Getting concussion evaluation
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The Bulls evaluated Caruso (face) for a concussion after he exited Sunday's 119-95 loss to the Bucks in Game 4 of the series, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Caruso played 17 minutes and contributed zero points (0-1 FG, 0-1 3Pt), four rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal before leaving the game with what the Bulls called a facial injury. If Caruso is diagnosed with a concussion, he would likely face an uphill battle to clear the NBA's protocol for head injuries in advance of Wednesday's Game 5 matchup. Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White would likely handle expanded roles if Caruso can't go for Game 5.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Won't return to Game 4
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Caruso has been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's Game 4 against the Bucks due to a facial injury, Chuck Swirsky of the Bulls Radio Network reports.
Caruso took an inadvertent shot to the face from Jevon Carter during the final minutes of the first half and wasn't with the team to start the second half. Ayo Dosunmu drew the start in his place and will likely garner an increased role for the remainder of the contest.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Not on bench to start second half
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Caruso remained in the locker room to start the second half of Sunday's Game 5 against the Bucks, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Caruso took a shot to the face during the final minutes of the first half and wasn't with the team to start the second half, as Ayo Dosunmu drew the start. The Bulls haven't provided an update, so the veteran point guard's status is unclear moving forward.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Starting Game 1 at Milwaukee
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Caruso will start Sunday's Game 1 against the Bucks.
Caruso missed the final three games of the regular season with a bruised back, but he was removed from the injury report Saturday and will be back in the starting lineup to begin the postseason. Chicago has used Caruso as both a starter and a reserve this season, but he'll get the nod as the nominal point guard Sunday alongside Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Off injury report
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Caruso (back) is off the injury report for Game 1 against the Bucks on Sunday.
Caruso missed the final three games of the regular season with a back bruise but will be fine for the start of the playoffs. He started his final nine appearances, averaging 4.8 points, 5.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 29.3 minutes.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Says he feels good
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Caruso (back) said Wednesday that he's "as close to 100 percent as I can be right now," Will Gottlieb of CHGO Sports reports.
While it appears that Caruso may not be at full health heading into the Bulls' Round 1 series against Milwaukee, it's still encouraging that he seems to be feeling relatively good after going through a full practice Tuesday. The defensive-minded guard missed the final three games of the regular season due to a bruised back.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Practices Tuesday
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Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said Caruso (back) went through Tuesday's practice, which involved competitive scrimmages with full contract, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Caruso sat out the regular-season finale, extending his absence to three straight games due to back spasms. However, Donovan said that the point guard has conveyed this is the "best he's felt" in a while, per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. With Lonzo Ball (knee) out for the season, Caruso is expected to be the starting point guard for the Bulls during the postseason.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Out at Minnesota
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Caruso (back) is out for Sunday's game against the Timberwolves.
Caruso will end up missing the final three games of the regular season. With Coby White (toe) doubtful as well, more minutes should be in store for Ayo Dosunmu and Javonte Green.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Out Friday
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Caruso (back) will not play Friday against the Hornets, Cody Westerlund of 670TheScore.com reports.
Caruso will sit out a second straight matchup due to a back bruise. Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White should continue seeing extra usage.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Questionable vs. Hornets
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Caruso (back) is questionable for Friday's game against the Hornets.
Caruso missed Wednesday's game against the Celtics due to a back bruise. If that's the case again, more minutes could be in store for Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Out Wednesday
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Caruso (back) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Celtics, Cody Westerlund of 670TheScore.com reports.
Caruso was forced to miss Monday's practice and came into Wednesday listed as doubtful, so it's no surprise that he won't be available for Chicago's matchup with Boston. He'll miss his first game in almost a month after returning from a 22-game absence due to a wrist injury. In his absence, Coby White should see additional minutes in the Bulls' backcourt.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Will play Tuesday
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Caruso (back) didn't practice Monday, but he told reporters that he got shots up afterwards and will play Tuesday against the Bucks, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Caruso was limited to just 22 minutes during Saturday's loss to the Heat due to back spasms, but it appears like the issue won't cause him to miss any extra time. The veteran point guard has started the Bulls' last eight contests and has averaged 5.4 points, 4.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 30.3 minutes per game during that stretch.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Limited due to back spasms
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Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said after Saturday's loss to the Heat that Caruso asked to come out in the third quarter due to back spasms, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Caruso started the game, but he only played 22 minutes -- his fewest since Dec. 20 -- and was held scoreless. Donovan added that Caruso's back issues have become a "problem" but it's nothing long-term. The coach also said he'll look to limit the veteran's playing time to less than 28 minutes moving forward, and it's certainly possible that the Bulls opt to sit him out for a contest or two during the stretch run to make sure he's as close to 100 percent as possible for the playoffs.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Starting Tuesday
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Caruso (back) will play Tuesday against the Wizards.
As expected, Caruso will take the court despite a bruised back. Over his past five starts, he's averaged 6.8 points, 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 31.8 minutes.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Likely available Tuesday
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Caruso (back) is listed as probable for Tuesday's matchup against the Wizards.
Caruso is probable with a low-back contusion for the second time over the Bulls' last three games. However, the issue isn't expected to be serious, so the veteran should be good to go against Washington. Over his last five contests (all starts), he's averaged 6.8 points, 4.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 31.8 minutes per game.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Voluminous production in win
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Caruso chipped in 10 points (3-5 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals over 38 minutes during Saturday's 98-94 win over the Cavaliers.
Caruso logged a team-high 38 minutes in the victory, flirting with a triple-double in what was arguably his best performance since returning from injury. As per usual, the scoring was nothing to get too excited about but his peripheral numbers were fantastic. Despite some subpar performances over the past couple of weeks, Caruso remains a viable 12-team commodity thanks to his defensive capabilities, as well as an assured role moving forward.
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Bulls' Alex Caruso: Playing against Cavaliers
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Caruso (back) will play Saturday against the Cavaliers, Cody Westerlund of 670TheScore.com reports.
Caruso landed on the injury report with a sore back, but he was considered probable and is good to go for Saturday's game. It remains to be seen whether he'll start for the third consecutive contest.
