Jacob Kupferman/AP
ATLANTA — Bulls guard Alex Caruso knows exactly what these days on the NBA calendar are.
‘‘This time of year, everybody knows what it is,’’ Caruso said before the Bulls’ game Monday against the Hawks. ‘‘The NBA has been around for 70-some years [77], and everyone knows that games 45 to 60 are the dog days. That’s just as much a mental battle as a physical battle.