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Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng take charge of the Bulls as Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, John Lucas III and Joakim Noah all sit.
According to the Tribune's K.C. Johnson, injured Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has been telling people that he plans to play against the New Jersey Nets on Monday, though it seems likely that his status will be a game-time decision, or something close to it, once again.
More: Bulls Vs. Bobcats Recap: Injured Chicago Team Puts Away Struggling Charlotte 95-89
Luol Deng, meanwhile underwent an MRI Sunday:
Deng underwent an MRI on his sprained left wrist Sunday, results of which were not immediately available. He said late Saturday he didn't think the injury would sideline him for a lengthy period.
However, with a normal week featuring no back-to-back games in this compressed schedule, not to mention a Nets lineup that starts three guards, Deng could sit for the first time this season.
Taj Gibson is likely out on Monday, according to Johnson, and Joakim Noah is expected to be a gametime decision, though John Lucas III plans to get back into the lineup.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league.
The beginning of the season has to be seen as a resounding success for the Chicago Bulls. Even with star point guard Derrick Rose missing time due to a toe injury, the Bulls have the NBA's best record so far this season with 15 wins in 18 games.
With Chicago's most recent victory over the Charlotte Bobcats, the Bulls now holds a two-and-half game lead over the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic for the top record in the Eastern Conference. It's a relatively small lead, but it's quite impressive nonetheless given the challenges that scheduling and injuries have posed for the team.
Chicago is one of two teams that's unbeaten at home this season, along with the Indiana Pacers, who are three games behind the Bulls in the Central division. The Bulls had the best record in the NBA last season at 62-20, and they're on their way to accomplishing that feat again during the abbreviated 2011-2012 season.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league.
Of all the current injuries to Chicago Bulls players— none of whom have much of a concrete timeline for a return— the one to the ankle of Taj Gibson may turn out to be the worst. The Bulls standout reserve power forward injured his ankle in Friday night's victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and his condition has yet to improve much since then.
"We can't even put a timeline on it," Gibson said. "Hopefully this thing goes away in the next couple of days, or I can get some feeling back so I can play. But right now it's about icing. That's the best thing I can hope for right now."
(via ESPN Chicago)
In his place, the Bulls relied heavily on Omer Asik and Carlos Boozer, while using a smaller line up off the bench.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on theChicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Bobcats coverage is available at Rufus On Fire. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league.
There's good news and bad news on the Derrick Rose injury front. The good news is that, according to coach Tom Thibodeau, Rose is continuing to get better. The bad news is that, well, nobody really knows when he's going to play.
"[Rose is] day to day," Thibodeau said before Saturday's contest [vs. the Charlotte Bobcats]. "It keeps getting better. So we're encouraged by that. All the swelling is gone. ... Only Derrick knows how he feels, so when he says he can go, he'll go."
(via ESPN Chicago)
Rose has missed four consecutive games as he battles through a turf toe injury that he initially tried to play through.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Bobcats coverage is available at Rufus On Fire. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league.
Though it seems like just about every single player on the Chicago Bulls is injured, add one more to the list: SF Luol Deng injured his wrist in Saturday night's victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. Deng will join Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and John Lucas in the infirmary, and will be reevaluated on Sunday morning.
Deng injured his left, non-shooting wrist late in the game on Saturday night, and, according to ESPN Chicago's Nick Friedell, was seeing wearing an ice pack on it after the game. The injury put a damper on what was another extremely solid game for Deng, who finished with 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Bobcats coverage is available at Rufus On Fire. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league.
The Chicago Bulls (16-3) overcame a slew of injuries to put away the Charlotte Bobcats (3-14) in a 95-89 that looked closer in the final score than it did in the second half.
The Bulls received an unwelcome surprise at the beginning of the game when All-Star candidate C Joakim Noah turned up lame with an injury that kept him from playing -- pushing the list of injured Bulls to four with PG Derrick Rose, F Taj Gibson, PG John Lucas III and Noah all out.
Despite the wealthy injury list, the Bulls managed to take an early lead and stop a late comeback attempt from the Bobcats reserves. With strong play from C Omer Asik (15 rebounds, 6 points), PF Carlos Boozer (23 pts, 9 reb), SF Luol Deng (22 pts, 8 reb) and SG Richard Hamilton (20 pts), the Bulls were able to build a lead as big as 19 points midway through the fourth quarter.
The Bobcats, who relied heavily on G Gerald Henderson (22 pts, 9 reb), managed a ten-point run late in the game, drawing the game within six points, but the margin proved to great and the Bulls finished with their 15th win of the season.
The Bulls will be back in action on Monday, squaring off against the New Jersey Nets (4-12).
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Bobcats coverage is available at Rufus On Fire. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league.
The Chicago Bulls (14-3) lead the Charlotte Bobcats (3-12) at the half by a score of 50-43 at halftime. The Bulls enter the game unusually shorthanded: PG Derrick Rose continues to struggle with his dislocated toe, and few expected him to play Saturday night, but Bulls fans were shocked at gametime when not only F Taj Gibson and PG John Lucas III but also star C Joakim Noah proved too unwell to play.
With the four key Bulls sitting on Saturday night, the Bulls gave second-year pro C Omer Asik his first career start at center. The Turkish big man has rewarded the Bulls, snatching 5 rebounds and a pair of field goals through the first half.
Leading the Bulls is All-Star candidate F Luol Deng with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists -- closely followed by G C.J. Watson with 11 points. The Bulls look to keep the pressure applied in the second, despite having to turn to backups like F Brian Scalabrine in the first half.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Bobcats coverage is available at Rufus On Fire. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league.
No Derrick Rose? No problem. Well, at least for one more night. Chicago Bulls fans hope they won't have to ask that first question too many times, because eventually the answer will change, but everything worked well against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night as the Bulls won 114-75. The team set a franchise record for blocks in in a game with 16, and the offense hummed along against an inferior team. On Saturday night, the Bulls will return from Cleveland to host another inferior opponent, the Charlotte Bobcats. Again, the biggest question is whether Rose will take another rest to nurse his turf toe injury.
For the Bulls, this is the second game of a back-to-back, and resting Rose would mean the guard will have eight full days off before the next game, so don't expect the player or the organization to push their luck and force him in against the 3-12 Bobcats. Backup guard C.J. Watson has filled in very well as a scorer for the Bulls, averaging 18 points per game on better than 50 percent shooting during games Rose has missed. Still, the defense is what has kept the Bulls winning. SB Nation's Bobcats blog, Rufus On Fire, takes a look at the challenges that await the Bobcats on Saturday night at the United Center:
Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah easily outclass the Bobcats' frontcourt, in most, if not all, aspects. Noah doesn't have great offensive firepower, but it should be interesting to see Biyombo defend one of the more talented rebounders in the league. Gerald Henderson faces a tough matchup against 6'9" Luol Deng. Deng's a very good defender and a pretty versatile scorer on offense. Much of good defense is played by positioning, but you have to wonder how much height and length can factor into Deng's play on offense. On defense, Henderson will have a much more difficult time than against Orlando. Deng's much quicker than Hedo Turkoglu, so driving to the paint won't be easy. And Deng's length and defensive quickness make him a tough defender closing out on jump shots. Could be a low-scoring night. For everyone.
Here is some basic information to help you find the game:
Game time/ date: 7:00 p.m. CT, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012
Location: United Center, Chicago, IL
TV: CSN-Chicago
Radio: ESPN 100 AM
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Bobcats coverage is available at Rufus On Fire. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league.
Luol Deng Injury Update: Forward Undergoes MRI On Sunday
Luol Deng hurt his wrist in the Chicago Bulls' win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday night, and on Sunday he underwent an MRI. He'll be re-evaluated by team physicians on Monday, according to ESPN Chicago's Nick Friedell.
Related: All of the Bulls are injured
The injury is not expected to keep Deng out of action for an extended period of time, though he may be held out of Monday night's game against New Jersey. As Deng expressed on the night of the injury, he does not believe it's serious:
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league.
Jan 23 7:01a by Steven Muma