When the Chicago Bulls take on the Utah Jazz tonight at the United Center, they will be without the services of do-everything small forward Luol Deng. Deng appears to have reaggravated the wrist injury that's been bothering him since January. Deng missed a stretch of seven consecutive games because of his wrist earlier this season.
When pressed on the subject of the availability of his favorite player, Tom Thibodeau gave some very Tom Thibodeau-like quotes.
"Guys have done it before, it's part of the NBA," Thibodeau said of Deng playing with an injury that requires surgery. "He's doing fine. Nothing is happening that wasn't expected. If he can go, he'll go. If he can't, he won't."
"To me, if a guy is injured, he's injured. It doesn't matter who it's against," Thibodeau said. "I know everybody says 'This game is bigger than another.' They all count the same. They're all big games to us."
Spot-on. Very in-character. I think he's said these exact words, like, 25 other times this season.
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