Loul Deng Out, Kirk Hinrich Questionable For Chicago Bulls In Game 7
From the archive: published May 4, 2013, 13 years ago. Details may have changed since.
The Chicago Bulls will once again take the floor with limited fire power. The Bulls have battled injuries all season and they aren’t getting a break in the playoffs. Loul Deng has been ruled out of game 7 and Kirk Hinrich will be a game time decision.
Deng missed game six due to an illness and spent the weekend at a Chicago-area hospital. Deng underwent a spinal tap and said that this is “the weakest” he’s ever felt.
Deng wrote on Twitter: “As a result of the spinal tap I suffered the worst headache I’ve ever experienced and been the weakest I’ve ever felt. Yesterday I was unable to walk or even get out of bed. I made it to the UC and was sent home. (Friday) morning my symptoms worsened.”
Kirk Hinrich, who also missed game 6, will be a game time decision tonight due to a bruised calf. Coach Tom Thibodeau said that Hinrich will participate in warmups before making a decision tonight.
Thibodeau said: “He did some shooting. We’ll see tonight. I want to see him warm up tonight to see where he is.”
Hinrich gave a marathon effort during the Bulls triple overtime win to give the team a 3-1 edge in the playoff series. The point guard has missed both games since then and it has shown on the scoreboard. The series is now tied at three games a piece and Hinrich is hoping to give his team a chance tonight in Brooklyn.
Hinrich said: “Just get down there tonight and try to do a normal pregame routine and see how it goes … I’m going to do my best and evaluate it and my thinking on it is if there’s any way, a chance, I could help I’m going to go out there and give it a go.”
If Hinrich does sit out, Nate Robinson will be expected to take up point guard duties. There’s also the 1 in 1 billion shot that Derrick Rose suits up and make an appearance to fill the void left by Hinrich.
Do you think the Chicago Bulls have a chance tonight against the Brooklyn Nets? The Bulls may be a bit depleted at the moment but Coach Tom Thibodeau reiterated that the team will have enough to win.
Thibodeau on Hinrich: “He made good strides today. We’re hopeful [for Saturday], but there are no guarantees. If he’s not, we have enough.”
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) May 3, 2013