With 20-20 game, Deng's comeback looking good

Don't expect Luol Deng to pile up 24 points and 20 rebounds every night.

Of course he won't. The Bulls hadn't had a 20-20 game since Marcus Fizer erupted for 30 and 20 on April 12, 2004.

The way Deng described himself following Wednesday's practice, scoring 20 points per game isn't his primary goal, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

"There are guys that come out every night and score," he said. "There are guys that change the game different ways. Everybody has their different role. I really see myself as there are nights when I'm going to have 12 points, but I'm going to have a lot of deflections, rebounds, change the game some other ways.

"I come out to score, but I look at doing other things. I'm very unselfish. I don't just come out and try to score 22 points every game. I never felt like that was my game. When I start doing that, I start struggling. I think I've just got to play with energy and try to effect the game in different ways."

All things considered, Deng's comeback from a stress fracture in his right tibia has been a remarkable success. He had to rest the injury most of the summer, but has averaged 17.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and shot 48 percent from the field in four games. He scored 26 in Sunday's loss at Miami.

"When I practice and I stay healthy, I have a better rhythm going into a game," he added. "When I have injuries and I start taking time off - I'm a rhythm guy - it really affects my game.

The Pargo effect: Here's a quick breakdown of how things turned around for the Bulls on Tuesday when Jannero Pargo came off the bench to knock down a 3-pointer with 5:19 remaining in the third quarter while they trailed Milwaukee by 18. The Bulls came back to win 83-81.

Before Pargo, the Bulls shot 26 percent from the field against the Bucks. They knocked down 16 for 24 shots (67 percent) the rest of the game.

Before Pargo, the Bulls were 0 for 4 from 3-point range in that game, as well as 7 for 47 on the season (a stellar 14.9 percent). Including Pargo's game-changing bucket, the Bulls were 5 for 7 from 3-point range the rest of the way.

The accuracy seemed to be contagious. Pargo drilled a pair of 3-pointers, and Luol Deng, John Salmons and Brad Miller added one each. The Bulls outscored Milwaukee 44-19 until the Bucks made a futile rally in the final 1:20 of the contest.

Thomas still sick: Tyrus Thomas was still suffering from flu-like symptoms on Wednesday. He did not practice and wasn't expected to be on the team's flight to Cleveland. Coach Vinny Del Negro suggested there's a slight chance Thomas could catch a flight Thursday and play against the Cavs, but it doesn't seem likely.