Birthday boy Luol Deng insists he is ready for his crunch playoff battle with LeBron James.
Great Britian superstar Deng, 25 today, has had a superb season in the NBA - but he knows the Chicago Bulls are relying on him.
The forward's form has silenced his doubters after an injury-plagued campaign last year.
A 98-89 win against the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night ensured the Bulls grabbed the final place in the Eastern Conference playoffs thanks to a run of 10 wins from their last 14 games.
And Deng is relishing taking on the NBA's reigning MVP James and the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs tomorrow.
"I have faced him and a lot of good players so it will be tough challenge but it is something I am looking forward to," Deng told Mirror Sport.
"They are the No.1 seeds and really know how to win games. It will be tough, they are such a great team and I will have to mark LeBron. But I have been playing in the NBA for six years and am not scared of anyone. One thing this year I have been able to be is very consistent with what I bring to the team.
"It gets to the point when the team relies on you to bring the same effort every game. So you have to take that challenge and perform the same way every time you step on the floor."
Deng scored 11 points as the Bulls secured a playoff spot in front of a crowd that included Michael Jordan, who is now the Bobcats owner.
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