Before the Bulls came back to beat the Rockets on Saturday, Luol Deng left the game with what the announcers called “a bone contusion” on his leg. Deng had not been playing well. He had 3 turnovers in 15 minutes of playing time, and I had seen him get beat badly on a quick give and go. He also made a hard cut to the basket on one play, received the pass, got to the rim and tried to lay it in. It didn’t fall. Bulls color commentator Stacey King said 3 times in a row: “Luol has to dunk that ball”.

On Sunday the Tribune reported that Deng had x-rays that revealed a likely stress fracture in his tibia and that he may be lost for the season. There was also this nugget: “Deng, who said he had been bothered by the injury for the last several weeks, left the game after playing 9:18 in the second quarter.” I thought that was odd. Why would a player with a stress fracture be playing 25-35 minutes a game? That is insanity.

But then today we learn this: “An MRI exam revealed Luol Deng does not have a stress fracture of his right tibia. Deng has told people he might even practice Monday in advance of Tuesday’s game at Charlotte.”

Consider me very confused. So he goes from something that might have ended his season to now practicing for the next game? And why haven’t we heard about his injury/condition before? Is it possible he is trying to make excuses for his poor play? It’s all rather weird.

[tags]Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets[/tags]