• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Bulls continue homestand against lowly Thunder

Jan 10, 2009 - 11:23 AM Oklahoma City (5-32) at Chicago (16-20) 8:30 p.m. EST

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- The Chicago Bulls have spent the last few days beating up on the league's bottom-feeders. They get another chance to do more of the same on Saturday before kicking off a much tougher four-game stretch.

The Bulls, fresh off a pair of victories over Sacramento and Washington (combined wins: 15), try to continue their strong play at the United Center as they host the five-win Oklahoma City Thunder.

Aside from coming out with their second victory in a row on Friday - a 98-86 triumph over the Wizards - the Bulls got another good sign. Carried all season by their backcourt while the rest of the team struggled, the Bulls got a pair of promising performances from Drew Gooden and Tyrus Thomas.

Both registered double-doubles, combining to collect 32 points and 21 boards. Chicago needed it, as star rookie point guard Derrick Rose had an uncharacteristically rough night, shooting just 3-of-12 from the floor. He still managed to dish out nine assists - thanks in large part to his frontcourt's breakout night.

Whether the Bulls' inside men can keep it going is another story. Rose, Ben Gordon and Larry Hughes have accounted for 1,704 of the team's 3,581 points - or 47.6 percent.

The Thunder, meanwhile, followed their unprecedented two-wins-in-three-games stretch with a 42-point blowout loss to Minnesota on Wednesday. Two nights later, they took the Houston Rockets to the brink but came up just short, 98-96, despite Kevin Durant's 27-point showing.