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Kukoc played Thursday night in the Bulls 96-83 victory over Toronto. He had eight points, six rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes.
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Kukoc
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Kukoc, playing his usual role as the first player off the bench, made four of seven shots from the field and missed both of his 3-point shots.
The 6-foot-11 forward had plantar fasciatis of the right foot and had not played since a 73-70 loss at Cleveland on Feb. 27. He missed 13 games, but the Bulls went 11-2 in that span.
"I have been practicing and it felt pretty good," Kukoc said. "But I didn't surprise myself. The most difficult part is staying in shape and playing effectively. Playing a few games in a row will be the true test."
Bulls coach Phil Jackson was happy to see Kukoc back and credited him with playing a big role in the win.
"We were a little slow there in the first quarter," Jackson said. "Toni Kukoc came off the bench and got us going."
The Bulls are trying to make history by recording consecutive 70-win seasons. After a 72-10 record last season, Chicago improved to 61-10 with Thursday night's victory.
The versatile Kukoc is third on the team in scoring at 13.4 points per game. He also averages 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
Rodman suffered a knee injury in the closing seconds of Tuesday's 94-92 victory over Dallas and will be out for the rest of the regular season.
