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Shorthanded Bulls look to take down Bobcats again

Jan 25, 2008 - 3:40 PM Charlotte (16-26) at Chicago (17-24) 8:30 pm EST

CHICAGO (Ticker) - The Chicago Bulls look to continue their winning ways against the Charlotte Bobcats when they meet on Friday.

Chicago has dominated the Bobcats, posting an impressive 11-3 record - including a 109-97 victory at home on January 2 when Ben Gordon scored 22 points off the bench.

The Bulls are 6-1 all-time in the series here.

Kirk Hinrich collected career-high 38 points and 10 assists in the opener of Chicago's three-game homestand, a 108-95 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

"I felt a responsibility to do that," said Hinrich, who will be looked to for more offensive support due to injuries to Gordon and Luol Deng. "We just needed a win. There was definitely some desperation for this team."

Deng is expected to be sidelined for one to three weeks because of his recurring left Achilles' tendinitis while Gordon remains questionable with a sprained right wrist.

The Bobcats are coming off their third loss in four tries with Wednesday's 102-95 decision despite receiving 22 points apiece from Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace.

"We played hard and played well in spurts," Charlotte coach Sam Vincent said. "We just have to get better at making key decisions at key times."

Charlotte owns the worst road record in the Eastern Conference at 2-13.