MILWAUKEE – It could very well end up being the final game of his very successful rookie season, and if it is, this contest will feature another first for a Chicago native.
Ayo Dosunmu will get the start on Wednesday night against the Bucks in Game 5 of the Bulls’ Eastern Conference first round series. It comes as the team is missing both Zach LaVine (NBA health and safety protocols) and Alex Caruso (NBA concussion protocol) for the contest at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
He’ll start with DeMar Derozan, Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams, and Javonte Green as the Bulls enter the game needing to win to keep their season alive as they trail the best-of-seven series 3-1.
Dosunmu, a former Morgan Park High School and University of Illinois star, has played in all four playoff games so far for the Bulls, averaging three points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per contest in an average of 15.8 minutes.
His best performance came in Game 4 when he played a series-high 29 minutes after Caruso was knocked out of the game in the first half. Dosunmu finished with eight points, two rebounds, two assists, and a steal in the Bulls’ 119-95 defeat.
A second-round pick in last summer’s NBA draft, Dosunmu has played a key role both off the bench and as a starter in his rookie season as the Bulls dealt with a number of injuries. In 77 games, 40 of which were starts, the guard averaged 8.8 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 27.4 minutes.