Bulls’ Luol Deng back in the hospital
BY JOE COWLEY jcowley@suntimes.com May 3, 2013 1:40PM
Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng (9) reacts in the second half of Game 5 of their first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets, Monday, April 29, 2013, in New York. The Nets won 110-91. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Updated: May 3, 2013 3:34PM
Luol Deng was again absent from practice on Friday, and it now seems very doubtful that he would even be making the trip to New York for Game 7 against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
Especially after the series of tweets Friday afternoon from Deng:
“I’m back in the ER where I may have to spend the night... I want my teammates and Bulls fans to know I would NEVER miss a game bc of flu”
On his Twitter account, Deng wrote that he was taken to the emergency room on Wednesday for symptoms that possibly indicated meningitis. Deng underwent a spinal tap and then “suffered the worst headache I’ve ever experienced.”
The All-Star forward said he was unable to walk or even get out of bed on Thursday. Deng still dragged himself to the United Center but was sent home. Friday morning his “symptoms worsened.”
Deng, who was a late scratch before Thursday’s eventual loss, left the United Center minutes before the game started, looking awful and was shaking.
There is still a chance he could fly out Saturday morning if he recovers and play in the do-or-die game, but coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t sound like a man very confident that he would have his small forward.
“He’s still not feeling well, so we’ll see,’’ Thibodeau said.
Deng finished by tweeting: “If I’m medically cleared I will fly to NY to be with my team and try to win game 7”
As for Kirk Hinrich, who has missed the last two games with a bruised left calf, his leg was heavily taped up and he did shoot a bit on Friday, but besides traveling with the team, Thibodeau was making no promises about his status to play, only that the veteran point guard was “better.’’
The one player Thibodeau did rule out was Derrick Rose. Asked if there were any indications that Rose could play in what could be the last game of the season, Thibodeau replied, “No.’’
