Nikola Mirotic Says He Accepted Bobby Portis' Apology After Fight

Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic spoke with the media Wednesday for the first time since his fight with teammate Bobby Portis during a practice in October. 

Mirotic accepted Portis' apology and said they will both do what is necessary to help the Bulls be successful. 

"We are teammates," he said (via the Bulls' official Twitter account). "We're fighting for this team. We're going to do what we need to do to make it work."

Mirotic also said he was "happy" with the way the Bulls have handled the situation, via Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald:

The altercation between Mirotic and Portis occurred on Oct. 17. Afterward, the Bulls announced Mirotic suffered a concussion and maxillary fractures that required surgery. 

The team suspended Portis for the first eight games of the season. He returned to the lineup on Nov. 7 against the Toronto Raptors and has appeared in each of Chicago's last 11 games. 

Mirotic attended his first game of the season Tuesday when the Bulls hosted the Phoenix Suns at the United Center. He did return to practice with the team Monday, but he has no definite timetable to return to games.

The 26-year-old Mirotic made his NBA debut during the 2014-15 season with the Bulls. He was a free agent last summer before signing a two-year deal to remain with Chicago in September.