A odd scenario during Tuesday’s game between the Bulls and the Knicks demonstrated that too much innovation isn’t necessarily beneficial.
Torrey Craig, a Bulls forward, decided it would be a good idea to lob himself off the backboard for a highlight reel slam. However, his decision resulted in one of his colleagues being hurt.
The play in question occurred at the start of the second quarter, when Bulls big Andre Drummond stole the ball from Bojan Bogdanovic, allowing Craig to initiate a fast break.
Instead of a straightforward dunk, Craig opted for the self-alley-oop. Unfortunately, the trailing Drummond missed the memo and assumed the lob was intended for him. As shown below, Drummond and Craig collided after Craig failed to complete the dunk.
Despite the fact that they evaded harm during the incident, Drummond was not treated well afterward.
As Craig lay on the court after his botched dunk attempt, the Knicks proceeded on a five-on-four fast break, forcing Drummond to dash back to the opposite end.
After the Knicks’ Miles McBride missed a three, Drummond, clearly exhausted from racing back on defense, attempted to complete a rebound but injured his ankle.
Drummond was carted off in a wheelchair as he grimaced in pain.
Craig’s extremely ambitious dunk attempt was not the cause of Drummond’s injury. However, the unusual occurrence raises the question of whether the huge man expended too much energy.
To his credit, Craig admitted his mistake after the game.
“It was a miscommunication or misinterpretation,” Craig explained of the play. “I accept responsibility for what happened. I was only trying to get us excited. Obviously did not turn out that way.”
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