<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Chicago 103, Cleveland 96Chicago, Dec. 30 (AP) -- Luol Deng scored a career-high 32 points, and the Chicago Bulls went on a 24-point run in the second half of a 103-96 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.A jumper by Larry Hughes made it 67-60 with 7:17 left in the third quarter, but the Cavaliers did not score again until he hit a 3-pointer with 9:23 left in the game. Meanwhile, the Bulls built an 84-67 lead and hung on for their third straight victory.The Cavaliers were within 96-92 with 1:21 left after a corner 3-pointer by LeBron James, who scored 33. After a layup by Chicago's Ben Gordon, Hughes scored on a drive but missed the free throw, keeping it a two-possession game.The Bulls' Chris Duhon then hit one of two foul shots to increase the lead to five with 33 seconds left. James missed a runner and Drew Gooden missed the tip.Deng, whose previous career high was 30 against Dallas in February 2005, is playing well despite spraining his right wrist on a flagrant foul by Miami's James Posey on Wednesday. With his wrist bandaged again, Deng hit 15 of 19 shots after scoring 25 the previous night in a 107-97 win at Toronto.Gordon hit his first three shots and was 8-of-18 on his way to 21 points. P.J. Brown added 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Malik Allen scored 10 points after sitting out the first half.The Bulls were without guard Kirk Hinrich, who sat out with a strained groin. Hinrich left late in the third quarter of Friday's game after he aggravated a condition that had been bothering him for about a week when he tried to stop Toronto's T.J. Ford from penetrating. He hopes to play Tuesday against Phoenix.With Hinrich out, coach Scott Skiles chose to start rookie Thabo Sefolosha and keep Gordon in his sixth man role, where he has excelled. Gordon's average had jumped from 12.8 as a starter the first six games to a team-high 20.1 before Saturday's tipoff.A Bulls team that started 3-9 now leads the Eastern Conference with 19 wins - one more than Central division leader Detroit - but things were looking bleak for them in the third.Cleveland started the quarter with a 12-2 run that began with Hughes' jumper and ended on back-to-back 3-pointers by James. But the Bulls managed to contain the NBA's seventh-leading scorer somewhat after that, limiting him to 11 points in the second half.The Bulls regained the lead when a falling Duhon converted a layup to put Chicago ahead 68-67 with 3:38 left in the third. Deng and Allen followed with back-to-back jumpers, and Deng added a tip-in and 22-footer that made it 76-67 with 36 seconds left. Gordon converted a layup in the closing seconds.Notes: Chicago's Ben Wallace sprained his left ankle late in the first quarter but returned five minutes into the second period. ... James had only one plan for his birthday. "I'm trying to get a win,'' he said before the game. "That would be the best thing that could happen for me.'' ... James, like most NBA players, will be happy to welcome back an old friend after New Year's: the leather ball. The NBA switched to a microfiber composite before the season, and players made it clear they didn't like the new one. "It's good. I'm a very big supporter of the old basketball, which is going to be the new basketball,'' James said. "I'm very excited about it.'' ... The Cavs had won five straight against the Bulls.</div>Deng is becoming one heck of a player.. Hes becoming fun to watch and I love seeing the basketball in his hands... I hope if we make a trade for a big Ben and Deng wont be in it ... I really wanna see what they can do with a scoring big man
Yes, Deng is becoming more and more of a player each game. He doesn't have the surreal athletiscm to "Wow" anyone but he is efficient and IIRC he is in the top 10 in the league in FG % as a SF. I have said this before on other boards, Deng IMO can become a 20 ppg and 10 rbpg guy when he reaches his peak. Right now he is at 17-18 ppg and 6-7 rpg. I'd say he gets my prediction above in a few years.With that said It looks like he and probably Ben Wallace will represent the Bulls in the 2007 NBA Allstar Game this season and its a great accomplishment for him. With the abundance of small forwards we have (Deng, Nocioni, Thomas, Khryapa) we will likely either move one via trade or let them sign elsewhere. My guess is that we try and trade Nocioni. In my dream world I would hope we could create a deal to get Kevin Garnett.Bulls Recieve:Kevin GarnetBen GordonAndres NocioniBulls (New York's) 1st round pickI dont know if this matches salary wise, probably not but with Gordons recent star surge It could be a great time to trade him because It looks like Thabo is going to become what the Bulls need in 2-3 years. This means Tyrus Thomas most likely won't be a starter for atleast 2 years because you would have KG and Luol at their respective positions. This is the only backset for this trade.
no that trade doesn't work... PAxson said he will not trade gordon for a big.. he wants gordon to play with a big..And Deng is doin well in the allstar vote.. Behind lebron Paul and maybe 1 or 2 other players right now I will check in a few min
I'm surprised Deng's career high is only 32 points...But good achievement..I like Deng. He has a nice mid range, he's very strong, he can score inside, he doesn't force shots, he plays good defense, gets rebounds, and he's only what? 22? He is going to be an excellent overall player. I think he needs to start taking more shots and emerge as an 18-20 ppg guy though.
