Bulls expect Hinrich (knee) to return for Game 3
MILWAUKEE — Chicago Bulls point guard Kirk Hinrich, who missed the first two games with a hyperextended left knee, is expected to play in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.
“We’ll see where he is today,” Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said before Thursday morning’s shootaround. “He was good yesterday, go through the shootaround, and then if everything’s good, he goes.”
Rookie Nikola Mirotic has already been ruled out of Game 3 because of a strained left quad and a swollen left knee, but he is feeling better about his progress after suffering the injuries Monday night in Game 2.
“I’m getting better and better,” Mirotic said. “Still sore, so I’m doing my treatments, my quad is still really sore right now so I’m just working with my treatments to get better … right now I don’t know what is the time [for a return], but I’m doing my best so hopefully I’m going to [be back] soon on the court.”
Mirotic is unsure if he will be able to play in Saturday’s Game 4, and he acknowledged that his left knee is still very sore after getting tangled up with Bucks big man Zaza Pachulia in the final minutes of Game 3.
“It’s sore,” Mirotic said. “It’s really sore right now, but after the first day, it’s getting better right now. I can walk normal. [Tuesday] I took some shots, I didn’t jump, but with all the treatments, with the medicine, I think that it’s getting better. I’m really trying to be positive to get my mind fresh.”
Mirotic, who was elbowed in the head by Pachulia with four minutes left to play in Game 2, and was scrapping on the floor with him only about a minute later, was asked if he believed Pachulia had made a dirty play.
“Could be,” Mirotic said. “Could be. I don’t know, but I don’t like to talk bad about the other players, but players need to be careful. Of course I understand you should play physical because it’s the playoffs, but you need to be careful, and maybe that play was really dirty, maybe he tried to hurt me. I don’t know. He knows better than me.”
The Bulls lead the series 2-0.
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