Chicago Bulls update: Carlos Boozer injured again
Carlos Boozer, the mercurial power forward of the Chicago Bulls, is under day-to-day observation due to a sprained left ankle and could be out of the squad for as much as a week. Speaking to the media, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.
"It could be anywhere from a couple days to a week. We will see from there".
The 29-year-old star was hurt in the last seconds of Chicago’s 101-84 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night at Time Warner Cable Arena. Boozer was on his way for a lay-up shot when he bumped into Bobcats guard Kwame Brown. Boozer lied on the court for few minutes, before he was helped off the court. Prior to injury, Boozer added 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds in the victory.
Boozer underwent MRI and X-ray’s and the doctors suggested him to take at least a week’s rest. When Thibodeau was asked about the availability of Boozer for the next home game against the Atlanta Hawks in Friday, he answered, "He had swelling today." "If the swelling is down more and he can go, he'll go. If it isn't ... it will really depend on how much swelling he has."
Boozer admitted that it was not the first time that he had injured his ankle but on none of the previous occasions did he feel so much pain.
"This is not my first twisted ankle," “But it is a bad one. It is pretty swollen," Boozer stated.
An Olympic gold medalist for summer 2006, Boozer had already missed 15 consecutive games at the start of the current season with a broken finger. His presence in the squad is pivotal as the Bulls are used to getting 20.1 points and 10.1 rebounds from their power forward position this season. He has however averaged only 15.0 points and 8.1 boards in the last ten contests for Chicago.
In Boozers’ absence, 25-year-old forward Taj Gibson is expected to start the game for the Bulls on Friday night. Gibson has been useful for the Bulls during the season and is averaging 7.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Bulls point guard Derrick Rose said that although the absence of Boozer displease them a lot but, as they have to fill the gap, so Gibson is the best possible alternate.
It would hurt us.” "But we still got to play the game. It would take a lot more energy and a lot more focus going into games. People are going to have to step up. If he does not play, Taj has done a great job when he has been out. People are going to have played big minutes. But I think our team should be fine," Rose said.
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