Dunn questionable after hard fall vs. Bucks
Kris Dunn didn't bounce up off the floor after a hard fall in the second half of Monday's game against Milwaukee. Coach Jim Boylen said Dunn skipped practice Tuesday with a bruised tailbone and is questionable for Memphis on Wednesday.
Dunn drove to the basket and was hit hard by Bucks center Brook Lopez, who was not called for a foul. As play continued, Dunn stayed on the ground for a couple minutes. He tried to walk it off and stay in the game, but wasn't moving well and after a minute or so, took an intentional foul so he could head to the bench. Dunn did return later in the fourth quarter and finished the game.
"He bruised his pelvis last week, and then last night he bruised his tailbone," Boylen said. "He's very sore and stiff."
Dunn had a tough night all around Monday. He made just 1 of 9 shots from the field, but did pick up 6 assists and the Bulls were plus-2 with Dunn on the floor.
Boylen said if Dunn can't go Wednesday, they'll return Ryan Arcidiacono to the starting lineup with Shaq Harrison backing up.
"That's kind of the way it's been all year, adjusting on the fly and getting guys to understand what we're doing," Boylen said. "But our spirit was good. We worked hard (Tuesday at practice)."
Dunn tries to get right:
Coach Jim Boylen was asked what's been hurting point guard Kris Dunn during a recent slump.
After some nice moments last year, Dunn looks like a guy who excels at being his team's lead scorer, like he was in college at Providence, but is a work in progress at running a team and spreading the ball to the right guys at the right time.
"I think you can't overreact on a missed shot," Boylen said. "I think it wears on him when he misses shots because he cares. You've got to move on from those missed shots, you've got to move on from mistakes. And then I think you've got to understand time, score and possession, which he's trying to do.
"When we need a bucket, when we've got to get something done, we can't go down the floor four, five times in a row and not get a bucket without getting something solid. I can't call timeout every time and get us reorganized. He's got to do that. He knows that. All I can tell you is his heart is good and he's working at it, and he's looking for consistency too."
Porter plays receiver:
Otto Porter Jr. played his first three games with the Bulls without a single practice, but was productive offensively. Coach Jim Boylen evaluated the newcomer so far.
"Well, I like the ball in his hands. That being said, he's one of our best 3-point shooters," he said. "So as much as we want the ball in his hands, we'd like him to be a receiver sometimes. I think the more receivers and creators you can have on your team, that combination of player, the better off we are. And he adds to that number of guys."