Bulls' Jones: Flagrant-1 foul on Allen wasn't revenge
Derrick Jones insists his flagrant-1 foul Saturday on Grayson Allen wasn't revenge for the Milwaukee Bucks guard's actions against Chicago Bulls teammate Alex Caruso last January.
"I ain't even tripping off that. It's basketball," Jones told reporters after Chicago's 118-112 loss to Milwaukee, according to ESPN's Jamal Collier. "I want to get a stop as much as they want to get a stop on the other end. What happened in Milwaukee, we didn't like it.
"It's obvious we didn't like it. Nobody liked that. But, I mean, I'm not going to go out there and just try to take a man out."
Jones hip-checked Allen on a drive to the basket in the fourth quarter and hit the Bucks sharpshooter in the face with his elbow.
Derrick Jones jr accidentally elbows Grayson Allen pic.twitter.com/4aopMq8oRy
— Gustavo (@iamvega1982) March 5, 2022
Jones added he isn't a dirty player and had no intent to injure Allen.
"That's not who I am. If I get a foul in the process of trying to get a stop, then so be it," he said. "But I ain't (gonna) blatantly take that man out. He got a family to take care of. Why would I do that?"
Allen's flagrant-2 foul on Caruso during the clubs' previous meeting resulted in a wrist fracture for the Bulls guard. Caruso hasn't played since and was given a minimum recovery timeline of six-to-eight weeks.
The NBA suspended Allen one game for the incident.
The sold-out crowd at the United Center booed Allen once he checked into Saturday's contest.