Milwaukee Bucks guard Grayson Allen received a one-game suspension from the NBA for the flagrant-2 foul that fractured Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso’s wrist during the third quarter Friday.
The NBA announced the suspension Sunday and Allen will serve the suspension Wednesday. Flagrant-2 fouls are accompanied by fines with a minimum of $2,000.
Allen was ejected from the game after attempting to block a two-handed dunk by Caruso, grabbing the guard with his hand and ripping him out of the air. Caruso cushioned his fall with his right arm, resulting in a wrist fracture that requires surgery and will sideline him for six to eight weeks.
Coach Billy Donovan slammed Allen for the foul and voiced heated requests for further punishment from the league. Allen addressed the play for the first time in a series of posts on his personal Discord server Saturday afternoon.
“It was very unfortunate how it played out,” Allen wrote several minutes before the Bulls announced the extent of Caruso’s injury. “It was a really hard fall and I’m glad he’s OK. If I could do the play over again knowing he’d fall like that I wouldn’t make the play.”
Allen added that his laughter on the way to the locker room — which drew criticism around the league, including from ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson — was directed at a joke from a teammate, not the foul or the ejection.
Regardless of intent, the loss of Caruso is significant for a Bulls team already wracked by key injuries. Zach LaVine and Javonte Green are both expected to return this week, and Donovan said the team could expect to see them both return Monday in Oklahoma City. But the loss of fellow defensive specialist Lonzo Ball — who is also sidelined for six to eight weeks following an MCL tear — made Caruso’s injury hurt even deeper for the Bulls.
Despite frustration over the foul, Donovan expressed acceptance over Allen’s discipline, adding that league officials were “great” during conversations around the foul. Donovan added that he won’t encourage retaliatory behavior from his team when the Bulls host the Bucks on March 4.
“Nothing is changing from what happened the other night to where we are now,” Donovan said. “The best thing we can do as a team is just move on. That’s really the only thing we have control over. I’m not gonna sit up here and say what the league should or should not do, or what’s sufficient or not sufficient.”
