The Bucks were in desperation mode in Game 2 against the Bulls on Tuesday, perhaps realizing that their only shot to compete in the series is to muck things up.
After an early tussle that saw four players pick up technical fouls, Milwaukee’s Zaza Pachulia picked up two technicals of his own in a one-minute span late in the fourth quarter, both stemming from hits he delivered to Nikola Mirotic.
The first was an elbow to the back of the head on a rebound, while the second came after a scramble for a loose ball on the floor.
Mirotic left the game a short time later, and was said to be dealing with multiple injuries afterward.
From Nick Friedell of ESPN.com:The Bulls said Mirotic has a left quad strain and will be re-evaluated Tuesday morning. Mirotic also has a swollen left knee, and the fear in the locker room immediately after the 91-82 win over the Milwaukee Bucks was that he might have a concussion as well. ...
While it’s unclear when Mirotic injured his knee, he did get caught under a big pile as he and Pachulia grappled on the floor. He was taken out of the game immediately after the scuffle and was looked at by Bulls trainer Jeff Tanaka on the bench. Mirotic headed to the locker room before the final buzzer to get ice and treatment.
“Hopefully it won’t be anything serious,” Bulls big man Pau Gasol said. “I think Zaza had a couple of bad plays, not basketball plays. He got penalized with technicals, but just got to protect players.”
Mirotic is an important part of what the Bulls do, so his status will be something to watch.
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The scene shifts to Milwaukee for Game 3 on Thursday.
[via SB Nation]
