Bulls' Niko Mirotic accepts Portis apology over fight
Niko Mirotic
CHICAGO (AP)  â Niko Mirotic  accepted Bobby Portis' apology on Wednesday  six weeks after  their  ugly altercation at practice led to a hospitalization and a suspension.
A day after he sat on the bench for the first time all season   Mirotic  finally spoke publicly about the Oct. 17 incident that left him hospitalized with two facial fractures and a concussion. Portis served an eight-game suspension and  Mirotic  didn't return to practice until Monday.
 Mirotic   who has a no-trade clause  declined to comment when asked if he had requested a trade from the Bulls. The two players were seen giving each other a fist bump during Tuesday night's 104-99 home loss to Phoenix  but  Mirotic  suggested the interaction between the two players has been limited.
"Right now  we are on the same team and we are working to make it work "  Mirotic  said. "The only thing I can tell you . I was always a good teammate so I was professional with everybody and I'll continue to do that. If I'm here  it's because I want to support the team. He's a part of the team and I'm going to support him  too. Obviously  I'm going to give him hands like he'd give me hands  too."
"I'd welcome him in with open arms " Portis said on Nov. 13  the same day  Mirotic  started working out again with the team.
 Mirotic  said  he  had yet to inform Portis  he  had accepted  his  apology.
"You know  we are teammates  " Mirotic  said. "On the same team. Fighting for the same team and we're both going to do what we need to do to make it work. Yeah  I accept it. I'm comfortable being on the team. I've had a lot of support from my teammates  from everybody. Right now  it's on me to relax and enjoy playing basketball again."
FILE - At left  in a Jan. 2  2017  file photo   Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic  brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago. At right  in an Oct. 4  2017  file photo  Chicago Bulls' Bobby Portis (5) handles the ball during a preseason NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks  in Dallas.  Mirotic  says  he  has accepted Portisâ apology  more than a month after the two teammates had an ugly altercation at practice. A day after  he  sat on the bench for the first time all season   Mirotic  finally spoke publicly Wednesday  nov. 29  2017  about the Oct. 17 incident that left  him  hospitalized with two facial fractures and a concussion. Portis served an eight-game suspension.  Mirotic  didnât return to practice until Monday. (AP Photo/File)
Coach Fred Hoiberg said  Mirotic 's actions Wednesday were critical to helping the team get back on track. The Bulls (3-16) have lost six straight games.
"I do think that's an important first step " Hoiberg said. "Obviously  the first thing was getting back on the floor after the incident  to start getting  himself  back in shape. The next thing was to get back with the group  which  he 's done here the past few days.
"It's good to have  Niko  back out on the floor with the guys and another important step talking about it for the first time and then continuing trying to move past it."
Hoiberg said  the earliest Mirotic  would return to action is Monday when the Bulls host the Cleveland Cavaliers. Though he acknowledged his return is much closer than before  Mirotic also said he wouldn't get ahead of himself as he focuses on conditioning.
CHICAGO (AP)  â  [TGT] accepted Bobby Portis' apology on Wednesday  six weeks after   [TGT]   ugly altercation at practice led to a hospitalization and a suspension.
A day after  [TGT]  sat on the bench for the first time all season    [TGT] finally spoke publicly about the Oct. 17 incident that left  [TGT]  hospitalized with two facial fractures and a concussion. Portis served an eight-game suspension and   [TGT] didn't return to practice until Monday.
  [TGT] declined to comment when asked if  [TGT]  had requested a trade from the Bulls. The two players were seen giving each other a fist bump during Tuesday night's 104-99 home loss to Phoenix  but   [TGT]   suggested the interaction between the two players has been limited.
"Right now  we are on the same team and we are working to make it work  [TGT] said. "The only thing I can tell you . I was always a good teammate so I was professional with everybody and I'll continue to do that. If I'm here  it's because I want to support the team. He's a part of the team and I'm going to support him  too. Obviously  I'm going to give him hands like he'd give me hands  too."
"I'd welcome him in with open arms " Portis said on Nov. 13  the same day   [TGT]   started working out again with the team.
  [TGT]   said   [TGT]   had yet to inform Portis   [TGT]   had accepted   [TGT]   apology.
"You know  we are teammates  "  [TGT]   said. "On the same team. Fighting for the same team and we're both going to do what we need to do to make it work. Yeah  I accept it. I'm comfortable being on the team. I've had a lot of support from my teammates  from everybody. Right now  it's on me to relax and enjoy playing basketball again."
FILE - At left  in a Jan. 2  2017  file photo   Chicago Bulls forward  [TGT] brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago. At right  in an Oct. 4  2017  file photo  Chicago Bulls' Bobby Portis (5) handles the ball during a preseason NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks  in Dallas.   [TGT] says   [TGT]   has accepted Portisâ apology  more than a month after the two teammates had an ugly altercation at practice. A day after  he  sat on the bench for the first time all season    [TGT] finally spoke publicly Wednesday  nov. 29  2017  about the Oct. 17 incident that left  him  hospitalized with two facial fractures and a concussion. Portis served an eight-game suspension.  Mirotic  didnât return to practice until Monday. (AP Photo/File)
Coach Fred Hoiberg said   [TGT]  's actions Wednesday were critical to helping the team get back on track. The Bulls (3-16) have lost six straight games.
"I do think that's an important first step " Hoiberg said. "Obviously  the first thing was getting back on the floor after the incident  to start getting  himself  back in shape. The next thing was to get back with the group  which  he 's done here the past few days.
"It's good to have  Niko  back out on the floor with the guys and another important step talking about it for the first time and then continuing trying to move past it."
Hoiberg said  the earliest Mirotic  would return to action is Monday when the Bulls host the Cleveland Cavaliers. Though he acknowledged his return is much closer than before   [TGT]  also said  [TGT]  wouldn't get ahead of  [TGT]  as  [TGT]  focuses on conditioning.