Alex Caruso has entered the NBA's concussion protocol after taking a hard hit to the head/neck area during the Chicago Bulls' 110-108 win over the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night.
The collision during which the injury took place in the second quarter of the contest as Caruso and Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter lunged for a loose ball. Caruso got the worst of the exchange:
Caruso was initially diagnosed with a right shoulder sprain by Bulls PR. But after the game head coach Billy Donovan told reporters he was also being evaluated for a concussion, which Bulls PR confirmed.
"They told me that they thought it was possibly a concussion. That's all I know," Donovan said. "Obviously that stuff is serious, so they're going to caution on the side of making sure he's OK.
"He feels OK. I just checked on him briefly, he said he's doing OK. I don't know if he does or does not have a concussion. But that's what they're looking into."
Caruso was off to a sublime start to the game, scoring five points, grabbing two steals and logging a +19 plus-minus in 11 first-half minutes. The Bulls led 55-38 when he exited with 2:29 to play in the second quarter.
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Although the Bulls hung on to win the game without him — and Ayo Dosunmu, who took Caruso's rotation turn with the first unit in the second half, was the hero with a game-winning layup at the buzzer — the team's defense and general organization suffered in Caruso's absence. The Hawks scored 70 points in the final 26:29 of the contest, outscoring the Bulls by 15 points.
And so, Caruso's status will be essential to monitor moving forward. Especially considering he entered Wednesday's game questionable with a right elbow sprain too.
The Bulls next play Friday at the New York Knicks.