Alex Caruso injury news puts a damper on Bulls' Play-In win

The Chicago Bulls managed to get past the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night and give themselves a chance to secure the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Chicago will match up with the Miami Heat, who lost to the Philadelphia 76ers and are now fighting for their playoff lives. However, they might be a man down when they take on the Heat on Friday night.

During Wednesday night's game, Andre Drummond accidentally stepped on Alex Caruso's left foot. After the game, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN revealed that the Bulls guard has suffered a "significant" left ankle sprain, putting his availability in question for Friday night's game.

Alex Caruso injured, questionable for Friday vs. Heat

The Bulls finished with the ninth-best record in the Eastern Conference and eliminated the No. 10 seed Hawks with their win on Wednesday.

However, if Caruso is unable to play on Friday night, things are going to be a little bit harder for the Bulls. Caruso is one of the top performers on the team.

Granted, the Heat will be without Jimmy Butler, but losing Caruso is still a significant blow for the Bulls. The veteran guard averaged 10.1 points per game and shot 40.8 percent from 3-point range this season. He also was a member of the All-Defensive Team last season.

If the Bulls defeat the Heat on Friday night, they will advance to play the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. Boston is the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing with the best record in the NBA.

Depending on the severity of the sprain, the Bulls could be without Caruso for the first round, even if they manage to beat the Heat, which would not bode well for them against a team like the Celtics.

They'll need a big game from DeMar DeRozan if they want to get past the Heat. They'll also have to rely heavily on Coby White.