MRI shows Bulls forward Deng down but not out

Don't write off Luol Deng just yet.

Following Saturday's comeback victory over Houston, the Bulls forward said X-rays showed a possible stress fracture in his tibia.

Cleveland center Ben Wallace has a similar injury and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, which could keep him sidelined for the remainder of the regular season.

That's why Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro was so worried about Deng's status Saturday night.

"It doesn't sound very good, and that's a huge blow to us," Del Negro said.

But MRI exams by Deng and forward Tim Thomas turned up negative Sunday; both are listed as day to day.

Thomas was diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee during the Houston game, and Del Negro later said it was a quad tendon strain, which has a tendency to be a nagging, long-term injury.

Astute Bulls fans might remember Fred Hoiberg missing 51 games with a quad tendon strain in 1999-2000.

Deng said the leg has bothered him for three or four weeks and felt a twinge when he came down after a missed layup in the second quarter.

He has been in a slump lately, averaging 9.0 points and shooting 39 percent from the field in the last five games after back-to-back 20-point nights against Milwaukee and Denver two weeks ago.

Tim Thomas hasn't done much, either, since his 17-point outing against Orlando last week. He has hit 3 of 14 shots in the last three games.

Artest knew The Storm: Rockets forward Ron Artest, who scored 32 points against the Bulls on Saturday, spent his first 2½ NBA seasons in Chicago, which was long enough to bond with Norm Van Lier, a kindred spirit of sorts.

"Van Lier, he was big on the way I played," Artest said. "He always gave me a lot of compliments on my defense and said I kind of played the game how he played it. A lot of people used to tell me that.

"I never knew how good he was. It even took me a year to notice that (retired) jersey 'Sloan' was Jerry Sloan. That shows you how young I was; I didn't know anything."

Before Saturday's game, Artest commented on his first year in Houston as only he can.

"It's the first season I can wait for the story to happen instead of making the story," he said. "I'm not waiting until the end of my suspension or talking about getting in a fight. It's been a good adjustment."

Bull horns: If Luol Deng is out any length of time, the Bulls would be able to sign a new player to a 10-day contract. The team cleared room under the luxury-tax threshold by trading Thabo Sefolosha to Oklahoma City for a draft pick. -

In their last three home games, the Bulls have beaten Houston, Orlando and Denver, three teams that were a combined 61 games above .500 through Saturday. Their last three road games were losses to Washington, New Jersey and Indiana, three teams a combined 47 games below .500.