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NEW YORK -- As the rest of his Chicago Bulls teammates got dressed and headed for the bus, Kirk Hinrich laid face down on a trainer's table in a side room as the Bulls medical staff did more work on his aching left calf. The pain and frustration on his face was palpable.

The veteran guard had expressed hope before Monday morning's shootaround that he may only have to miss one game, but his actions after Monday's game told a different story. As he dressed a few moments later and strapped on a walking boot, it looked and sounded very unlikely that he would be able to play in Thursday’s Game 6 unless a dramatic change of events occurred.

The impact Hinrich has on the game was not lost on his teammates after the Bulls' 19-point loss in Game 5. They know how much of a presence he has on and off the floor and they know they're in a bind without him.

"He's our captain," Bulls guard Nate Robinson said. "That's like Tom Brady going down and somebody has to come in and fill in for him. At the same time, you got to be ready. And I know our guys, all of us collectively, we're always ready to pick up somebody when they're down. So if Kirk plays or if he doesn't play we got to be ready regardless."

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Just when the Chicago Bulls get a pair of injured players back, another one gets sidelined.

The Bulls will be without forward Luol Deng for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Pistons.

“My right hip is just a little sore,” Deng said before the game. “It’s nothing serious, just precautionary.”

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BOSTON -- Let's take a quick look at how the Boston Celtics earned a 71-69 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night at TD Garden.

How it happened: Brandon Bass led the Celtics with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Kevin Garnett added 12 points and 11 rebounds in a game that had plenty of poor offensive execution to go around. Jimmy Butler had a solid night with 11 points and six rebounds, but it wasn't enough, as the Bulls couldn't take care of the ball and struggled to find an offensive rhythm all night. The Bulls have now lost four of their past five.

What it means: Tom Thibodeau is never happy when his team loses, but he will be especially disgusted after this game. That's because the Bulls turned the ball over 22 times and looked terrible offensively. Nate Robinson struggled getting the Bulls into an offense, and the Bulls couldn't figure out how to break Boston's defensive pressure. This game was ugly and will leave a sour taste in Thibodeau's mouth as his beleaguered team heads into the All-Star break. For all of his flaws -- and there are many -- the Bulls are missing Kirk Hinrich and the stabilizing presence he provided on the offensive end.

Hits: Marquis Teague gave Thibodeau some solid minutes in the first half in place of Robinson. He finished the game with five points and three assists in 20 minutes.

Misses: Carlos Boozer, Rip Hamilton and Luol Deng were a combined 10-for-30 from the field.

Stat of the night: According to Bulls Radio statistician Jeff Mangurten, the Bulls' 22 turnovers are the most in any game of the Thibodeau era.

What's next: The Bulls head into the All-Star break with a 30-22 record. They face the New Orleans Hornets next Tuesday night.

ATLANTA -- Out of all the places Marquis Teague could have fallen to in the NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls may have been the best team for him, according to his older brother Jeff.

Jeff Teague, a point guard for the Atlanta Hawks, is happy to finally get to face his brother in a professional game. He seems almost happier that his brother is getting to play for Tom Thibodeau and learn from veteran guards like Kirk Hinrich and Derrick Rose.

"I was actually glad he got drafted by the Bulls," Jeff said before Saturday's game. "It was going to make him work, and it was going to give him an opportunity to stay in the league. I know a lot of guys got drafted by certain teams and they're out of the league now ... and they came in with me.

“So I was just happy to go to an organization where they have a lot of hard workers, and it's all about hard work -- and that's going to help him in the long run."

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CHICAGO -- Let's take a quick look at how the Oklahoma City Thunder squeaked out a 97-91 Thursday night at the United Center.

How it happened: Kevin Durant finished with 24 points and hit several big shots down the stretch to ice the win. Serge Ibaka added 21 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots, playing great defense throughout the night. Luol Deng led the Bulls with 27 points. Rip Hamilton had 20 points and eight rebounds, while Joakim Noah pulled down 13 rebounds.

What it means: The Bulls miss Derrick Rose every night, but they missed him badly down the stretch in this one. Durant was simply overwhelming down the stretch and ended up breaking the Bulls down in the final seconds with jumpers and free throws. The Bulls just didn't have an answer. Tom Thibodeau has got to be pleased with the way his team competed, but they made too many mistakes throughout the game to overcome. Thibodeau will not be happy with the 20 turnovers his team committed. The Bulls are never going to roll over against any team, but they simply don't have the star power to overcome great individual efforts on nights when players like Durant decide to take over.

Stat of the night: The Thunder outscored the Bulls 46-34 in the paint.

Hits: Kirk Hinrich bounced back with a nice game, scoring 12 points and dishing out five assists, but he will be frustrated with himself for missing a few shots in the final moments.

Misses: Carlos Boozer was just 3-for-9 from the field and did not play much in the fourth quarter for the second game in a row.

What's next: The Bulls take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night at the United Center.

CHICAGO -- Let's take a quick look at how the New Orleans Hornets earned a surprising 89-82 win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night at the United Center.

How it happened: Greivis Vasquez led New Orleans with 18 points as the Hornets played solid defense on the Bulls most of the night. Luol Deng paced Tom Thibodeau's bunch with 19 points, but it was not enough as the Bulls simply couldn't find any rhythm offensively. On Friday night in Cleveland, the Bulls shot 64 percent and seemed as if they couldn't miss. On the second night of a back-to-back, they let an undermanned Hornets team, playing without Anthony Davis and Eric Gordon, outwork them -- a fact Thibodeau will not be happy about. The Bulls couldn't buy a bucket.

What it means: Without Derrick Rose, this is the new reality for the Bulls. There will be some nights where they simply can't score. Rose was always the safety net for this group when it couldn't find the basket. The Bulls must find a way to create points while Rose rehabs his knee, something they struggled with throughout Saturday night's game. This was the biggest fear for the Bulls' brass before the season and something they must face head on. As a group, the Bulls looked frustrated. Nate Robinson, Marco Belinelli and Taj Gibson played pretty well off the bench, but the starters have to set a better tone from beginning to end.

Stat of the night: Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, Rip Hamilton and Kirk Hinrich were a combined 8-for-38 from the field.

Hits: Belinelli played his best game as a Bull. He had 13 points and looked much more comfortable on the floor.

Misses: Aside from Deng, the Bulls' starters did not play well. As a team, the Bulls shot just 33 percent from the field.

What's next: The Bulls have the day off Sunday. They'll be back on the practice floor Monday afternoon before playing host to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.

CHICAGO -- Tom Thibodeau is considered to be a basketball cyborg by some around the city because of his work ethic and his attention to detail regarding his team. As the football season heats up though, the veteran coach does have one thing in common with most in the city: He has become a fan of the Chicago Bears and a supporter of Lovie Smith.

"I admire Lovie," Thibodeau said before Tuesday night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. "I think he's done a great job for a long time. I haven't had the opportunity to spend time with him yet, but hopefully in the future I will.

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DEERFIELD -- Add the Chicago Bulls to the growing list of people impressed by the Chicago Bears this season -- especially their defense and quarterback Jay Cutler.

“I love the way (their defense is) playing,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said Tuesday morning as his team prepared for a preseason contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder. “They were great last year, they’re great this year. I don’t know much about football, but I enjoy watching them play.”

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Whose fate was more disappointing, the Bears and Jay Cutler or the Bulls and Derrick Rose?

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