Chicago Bulls’ Nikola Vucevic says latest hard foul on Milwaukee Bucks’ Grayson Allen was unintentional

CHICAGO — Milwaukee Bucks guard Grayson Allen found himself in the middle of yet another controversial foul call during a game against the Chicago Bulls, when Allen got knocked to the floor driving to the basket in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s 127-106 victory after a hard foul from Bulls center Nikola Vucevic.

Vucevic, who was fouled from behind by Bucks center Brook Lopez on the play, received a dead ball technical foul for the contact on Allen after a replay review.

However, Vucevic maintained after the game that he did not intend to target or foul Allen, who has been the subject of ire for Chicago fans ever since a flagrant foul 2 on Bulls guard Alex Caruso in January resulted in a fractured right wrist for Caruso.

“My intention wasn’t to foul or injure him or anything,” Vucevic said after the game. “I got pushed a little bit, and as I tried to go and swipe at the ball, I think it just looked worse in the moment. When you look at the replay, it’s not even that bad. I don’t even understand why I got a tech for it.”

Knowing the history between the two teams, Vucevic said he spoke to Allen and a few Bucks players on the floor after the play to clear up his intentions.

“I didn’t make anything of it,” Allen said. “I honestly didn’t hear the whistle and I don’t think he heard the whistle either. I had the ball in my left hand, so I think he was coming across my body to make a play on the ball.”

Allen was also on the receiving end of a hard foul the last time these two teams played in Chicago last month, when Bulls forward Derrick Jones Jr. delivered a hip check and hit Allen in the face with his elbow while trying to defend him driving to the basket. Although Jones said he was simply trying to “get a stop,” he received a flagrant foul 1.

On Tuesday, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said he believed Vucevic should have received at least a flagrant foul as well.

“Yeah, I think it crossed the line,” Budenholzer said. “The refs thought it…