Deng latest victim of injury bug
The Bulls had gone nearly four days without a new injury, so they were overdue for something to go wrong. Luol Deng ended the good-health streak by missing Saturday’s game with a left Achilles injury.
“The way it happened is kind of weird,” Deng said. “A guy kind of stepped on the side of my leg, twisted my ankle and kind of stepped on my Achilles. They did an MRI and everything was fine.”
Deng said the injury first occurred at Detroit on Nov. 27. He was able to make it through the next three games, but tweaked it during Thursday’s win over Miami.
“It just kind of flared up on me the next day, had a lot of swelling. Still have got a lot of swelling,” he said. “My mindset is to get ready for the next game. If I feel like I can run out there, I’ll play.”
In the previous five games, Deng averaged 27 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6 assist, while shooting 53 percent from the field.
Taj switches positions:Instead of starting Mike Dunleavy in Luol Deng#146;s place, coach Tom Thibodeau used an unconventional tactic and moved Taj Gibson from power forward to small forward.Gibson has been on a nice roll lately, averaging 21.5 points and shooting 67 percent in the last four games. He scored a career-high 23 points at Detroit on Nov. 27, then topped that with 26 points against New Orleans on Monday.Gibson also had a decent matchup against Detroit#146;s Josh Smith, who often played power forward in Atlanta. Smith finished the night 2-for-11 from the field for 7 points.Butler creeps closer:The Bulls might have help on the way soon. Coach Tom Thibodeau said both Jimmy Butler (turf toe) and Mike James (knee sprain) are getting closer to a return. Butler hasn#146;t played since Nov. 18.#147;Jimmy#146;s doing more and more each day, so he#146;s getting closer,#148; Thibodeau said before the game. #147;Mike (James) is on the bike now, so that#146;s a good sign.#147;(Butler) is moving a lot better, so he#146;s actually pretty close. But I want to see a practice with some contact in it before he gets out into a game. But he#146;s moving now pretty much as close to a game speed as you can get.#148;Bull horns:Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson both got technical fouls for arguing calls. ... Detroit leading scorer Rodney Stuckey left the game in the second quarter with a left knee injury and did not return.