SAN FRANCISCO -- Before Friday's practice started at a downtown health club, the Chicago Bulls circled the wagons and reacted in unified surprise that they were shut out in All-Star reserves despite being 20 games over .500 at 34-14.
That's the same record as the Miami Heat, who has three All-Stars in LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who was added by coaches as a reserve. The Bulls will send only Derrick Rose to the Feb. 20 game in Los Angeles.
"I'm surprised," Luol Deng said. "As a team, I feel like we went through a lot with injuries. We had Carlos (Boozer) and Joakim (Noah) missing. And I feel like other teams had injuries and some of those guys that were hurt made it."
That's a direct reference to Hawks guard Joe Johnson and Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, both of whom were added by coaches as reserves despite missing time to injury.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said he felt both Deng and Boozer were deserving.
"I'm disappointed," Deng said. "To go there and represent the team would've been great. It's weird to me we only have one. All I can do is put it past me. I really think I'm a step ahead of where I was last year. So my main thing is to keep going forward. There's nothing I can do about it."
Boozer, who earlier this week said he felt he deserved to go, also supported Deng.
"I didn't think I was going to make it because I didn't play enough games," Boozer said. "I really wish Luol would've made it. He's very deserving. He's played in every game this season. He's having a monster year. I'm going to go to the beach in Miami, see my kids, get a little tan, come back a little crispier."
