CHICAGO – Fans at United Center may have celebrated the Bulls striker Derek Jones Jr.The blunder on the Milwaukee Bucks goalkeeper Grayson Allen Friday night, but Jones then insisted the foul was not intentional and denied he was a dirty player.
Jones received a blunder 1 in the fourth quarter after he checked his hip while trying to defend Allen while driving to the basket and hit Allen in the face with his elbow.
Jones said he was simply trying to “stop.”
“That’s all in my head,” Jones said after the match. “I’m not a dirty player. Honestly, I spoke to every referee who was around today. I didn’t think it was that blatant. They said I hit him on the head. I didn’t feel it. I just felt him hit my thigh and fall. That’s all I felt.”
Allen was a furor to Chicago fans throughout the evening, listening to boos from the sold-out crowd of 21,259 every time he touched the ball.
On January 21, the last time the Bulls and the Bucks met against each other, Allen made a blatant 2 foul on the Bulls guard Alex CarusoAs a result, Caruso fractured his right wrist. Caruso has not played since.
It was the first time Allen had been called up for a blatant foul this season, and only the second time in his NBA career. However, he was suspended by the NBA for one game for the foul, which prompted the Bucks to issue a statement defending Allen and opposing the suspension.
Thursday evening, Bulls coach Billy Donovan Insisting that his team left Allen’s blatant mistake in the past, he told reporters, “We’re not going to take back what happened.”
However, Bulls Center Tristan Thompsonwho was a member of the Sacramento Kings when the accident occurred, said the Bulls were ready to play “Chippie” in the rematch on Friday.
“Take one of my dogs that way, we’re going to have problems,” Thompson told reporters Thursday in Atlanta. “You have to set the tone. That’s what Bulls basketball is about, setting the tone. What he did affected one of our guys, and I don’t think anyone should forget that.”
“I think men have [it] in the back of their heads, and if men want to play chibi, let’s play chibi.”
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer He didn’t give much feedback when asked about Thompson’s comments before Friday’s game, saying he hadn’t seen it.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said. “You didn’t register with me. Nobody said anything to me.”
Regardless of the fans’ reaction, Friday’s match continued without incident. Allen was mocked for 31 minutes and finished 2 of 6 from the field for seven points and four rebounds in Milwaukee’s 118-112 win. None of the Bucks players then objected to Jones’ severe foul on Allen.
Jones confirmed that he did not attempt to retaliate for the play in January.
“I don’t get bogged down in that,” Jones said. “It’s basketball.” “I want to stop as much as they want to stop at the other end. What happened in Milwaukee, we didn’t like it. We obviously didn’t like it. Nobody liked it. But I mean I’m not going out there and just trying to get the guy out.”
“That’s not who I am. If something goes wrong while I’m trying to stop, so be it. But I’m not. [gonna] Blatantly let out this guy. He’s got a family to take care of. Why would I do that?”
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