Pippen Ain't Easy
Fansided

Chicago Bulls suspend Bobby Portis for eight games after punch

By Michael Whitlow

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 28: Bobby Portis #5 of the Chicago Bulls grabs the rebound against the Boston Celtics in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quartefinals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2017 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 28: Bobby Portis #5 of the Chicago Bulls grabs the rebound against the Boston Celtics in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quartefinals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2017 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Chicago Bulls announced on Wednesday that Bobby Portis would be suspended eight games for punching Nikola Mirotic during a practice altercation on Tuesday.

After punching Nikola Mirotic in the face and sending him to the hospital on Tuesday, Chicago Bulls vice president of basketball operations John Paxson announced that Bobby Portis was suspended eight games.

The suspension came after Portis and Mirotic got into it during a practice on Tuesday and ended with Portis laying out Mirotic with a single punch that broke multiple bones in Mirotic’s face and gave him a concussion.

“Bobby Portis is not a bad person,” Paxson said to reporters on Wednesday after practice, via Sean Highkin. “He’s a good kid. But in this case, he made a mistake. And mistakes have consequences.”

Paxson noted that both players were being “aggressive”, but Portis’ punch was the obvious elephant in the room.

“Both players owned responsibility for the incident, but only one player threw a punch. To us, that is unacceptable,” Paxson said, via Highkin.

Along with the Portis suspension, Paxson announced that Mirotic would miss the next 4-6 weeks with his post-punch injuries suffered on Tuesday.

The Bulls noted in their official news release that surgery is likely required for Mirotic and so have the doctors, according to Paxson. The final decision on the matter comes down to what Mirotic himself wants to do moving forward.

Despite the reports about Portis’ punch, Paxson also disputed that the punch that struck Mirotic was not a “sucker punch”. “I wouldn’t call it a sucker punch, no,” Paxson said, via Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago.

Neither player was in the Advocate Center on Wednesday as Paxson, Fred Hoiberg and Robin Lopez all spoke with reporters. Both players will not travel with the team to Toronto for the regular season opener on Thursday night, which means the start at power forward will go to rookie Lauri Markkanen.

Next: There's an outlet with the Portis-Mirotic situation that could be taken

Hoiberg also said that Paul Zipser and Quincy Pondexter (who will suit up and play on Thursday) will also see some time at the power forward position against the Raptors.

When Hoiberg was asked if Portis and Mirotic would play together again, the third-year head coach replied, “Well, that’s our job.”

Home/Bulls News