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Will Bulls suspend Bobby Portis after punch sends Nikola Mirotic to hospital?

On the eve of the regular season, the Bulls are facing some challenging issues after forward Bobby Portis sent teammate Nikola Mirotic to the hospital during Tuesday's practice.

According to a source, the two players were battling during a practice scrimmage at the Advocate Center. The physical play escalated and Portis threw a punch, hitting Mirotic in the face.

The Bulls said Mirotic suffered a concussion and maxillary fractures, and surgery is likely. Early word is the concussion symptoms need to subside before surgery can be performed. Maxillary fractures would involve the bone in the center of the face, essentially the upper jaw. The Bulls are expecting Mirotic to miss roughly 4-6 weeks.

What happens next will likely be decided Wednesday, since the team wants to consult with the league office before announcing a punishment for Portis. He will not play in Thursday's regular-season opener at Toronto, according to a source. The team will likely choose between releasing Portis or handing out a suspension.

This incident certainly puts a damper on the start of the Bulls' rebuilding project. The preseason has been full of optimistic comments from players and head coach Fred Hoiberg as the Bulls won three of six games and were generally more competitive than expected.

From a personnel perspective, two power forwards battling for a starting position are now removed from the lineup. Portis started the first game of preseason, but didn't shoot well and Mirotic was expected to be the starter on Thursday in Toronto.

Now it appears the Bulls will have plenty of playing time to give rookie Lauri Markkanen, who missed the first three games of preseason with a sore back. They could also use Paul Zipser at power forward in a small lineup. Veteran forward Quincy Pondexter, who hasn't played in two years because of knee issues, has been practicing this week, but it's not clear if he's healthy enough for game action.

The 6-10 Mirotic is heading into this fourth season with the Bulls and signed a new two-year deal worth $27 million this summer. He suffered a concussion in December of 2015, but recovered quickly and didn't miss any games.

Portis, the Bulls' first-round draft pick in 2015, is heading into his third season. He averaged 6.8 points and 4.6 rebounds last season.

A similar incident happened to the Bulls in 2006. They sent center Marty Andriuskevicius to the Developmental League and during a practice with the Dakota Wizards, he was punched in the face by teammate Awvee Storey. Andriuskevicius suffered a concussion and serious facial fractures. He recovered and never played for the Bulls again, but is still playing in Europe.

No charges were filed after that altercation. Storey was released by the team and dismissed from the D-League, but played for the Milwaukee Bucks the following season.

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Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic was taken to the hospital Tuesday after a practice altercation with teammate Bobby Portis. According to a team source, Portis punched Mirotic in the face, resulting in facial fractures and a concussion. Associated Press File Photo
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