Deng has 20-20 vision against Bucks

Bulls fans probably figured they'd never have reason to speak of Marcus Fizer again.

Not so fast. The No. 4 pick of the 2000 draft, whose Bulls career was a disappointment, merited a mention Tuesday.

When Luol Deng piled up 24 points and a career-high 20 rebounds against Milwaukee, it was the Bulls' first 20-20 game since Fizer did it against Orlando on April 12, 2004.

Fizer's performance actually was a 30-20, so he'll stay in the game notes until further notice. But the Bulls were glad to have such a convincing performance from Deng, who is quickly erasing questions about his health.

"We had to have somebody show energy and hope everyone followed," said Deng, who scored 26 Sunday at Miami. "At halftime, I felt like I hadn't even played yet.

"I just wanted to go out there and play as hard as I can. Sometimes when you're struggling making shots, playing hard makes you forget about your shots and it just comes to you."

Deng ended up hitting 7 of 16 field-goal attempts and grabbed 7 offensive boards. His previous rebounding high of 18 came against the Los Angeles Clippers in 2006.

Jennings recalls Rose: Milwaukee rookie Brandon Jennings reflected on his AAU battles against Derrick Rose, which weren't very long ago, since both players joined the NBA one year out of high school.

"I remember them like they were yesterday," Jennings said before Tuesday's game. "They had a good team, too, him and (current Clippers guard) Eric Gordon in the backcourt - two top lottery picks. We had Kevin Love and a couple other good role players, so we came out on top a lot."

Jennings said those AAU battles all took place in Las Vegas. But Rose got some revenge when Simeon beat Jennings' Oak Hill Academy squad in a made-for-ESPN high school contest.

Shoot straighter: Before the game, coach Vinny Del Negro shared his thoughts on the Bulls' shooting accuracy. Heading into Tuesday's action, they were a disappointing 41.3 percent overall and a miserable 16.3 percent from 3-point range.

"I'd be more concerned if our guys were hesitating on their shot," he said. "But they're not.

"They're stepping into them, and we just missed a couple that we usually make. I think we have good shooters. I'm seriously not worried about it."

Sick bay: The Bulls said Tyrus Thomas arrived at Tuesday's morning shootaround at the Berto Center, spoke to trainer Fred Tedeschi and was sent home to get some rest. Coach Vinny Del Negro said Thomas saw a doctor in the afternoon.

"He's not feeling very well right now," Del Negro said.