The AP reports: Joakim Noah had a season-high 18 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks to lead the Bulls to a 114-111 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night after nearly squandering a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Bulls couldn’t hold an 18-point lead earlier in the month at home against the 76ers and dropped a game to the Wizards after leading by 20 points in the second half… Larry Hughes scored 19 points and Luol Deng added 16 to help the Bulls win for just the fourth time in 12 games. Chicago pulled 3 1/2 games behind eighth-place Atlanta for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Michael Redd scored 33 points to lead the Bucks, who lost for the 12 time in 14 games in March. Charlie Villanueva scored 15 of this 26 points in the third quarter, and Mo Williams added 13 points for Milwaukee.

I have determined why Drew Gooden has such wildly inconsistent games even moreso lately than ever. It’s because a midget has secretly moved into Gooden’s giant beard. Even Drew doesn’t know he’s there. And sometimes, before games, the midget takes a nap, forgets to sneak out before tipoff, and has to stay hidden in there during the game, weighing Gooden down and causing him to play badly. But when the midget sneaks out before the game, Gooden is lighter, more agile and puts up big stats.
Gooden was fairly inconsistent in the past, and I have no secret explanation for that.

The AP reports: Mike Bibby scored 30 points and the Atlanta Hawks held on after nearly blowing two huge leads, beating the Chicago Bulls 106-103 to strengthen their hold on the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot. Ben Gordon, who scored 16 of his 18 points in the final period, had a chance to force overtime but his final shot rimmed out as the horn sounded… Joe Johnson scored 19 points for the Hawks, including a towering shot from the baseline over two defenders to make it 101-98 with 1:32 remaining… All five Atlanta starters scored in double figures, with Marvin Williams and Joe Smith both contributing double-doubles. Williams had 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Smith went for 12 and 10. Luol Deng scored 19 points to lead the Bulls, who got points from all 11 players who saw minutes but were beaten on the boards.

The AP reports: Andre Miller hit all the right targets and had a season-high 18 assists, Lou Williams scored 23 points and Philadelphia romped again, this time in a 121-99 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night… That fast-paced, push the ball for easy baskets style of play helped the Sixers outscore the Bulls 30-2 in fast-break points en route to their 19th victory in their last 24 games… Andre Iguodala scored 21 points and Thaddeus Young had 20… Thabo Sefolosha led the Bulls with 20 points, Kirk Hinrich had 18 and Andres Nocioni 16.

The AP reports: Drew Gooden scored a season-high 31 points and matched a season best with 16 rebounds Tuesday night as the Chicago Bulls held on in the fourth quarter for a 103-94 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. The Bulls, one of several teams chasing the Hawks for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, led by 12 after three quarters before Atlanta rallied within two with just more than six minutes left. Ben Gordon’s 3-pointer with 1:27 to go gave the Bulls a 97-90 lead, and he added two free throws with 28 seconds left. Gordon finished with 16 points. Josh Childress scored 22, including eight in the final quarter, to lead Atlanta. Mike Bibby added 18.

The Chicago Tribune (K.C. Johnson) reports: Andres Nocioni and Jim Boylan literally kissed and made up Monday, with the Bulls’ interim coach hamming it up for the TV cameras and kissing the forward he fined on the head as Nocioni addressed the media. The Bulls fined Nocioni an undisclosed amount on Monday for berating Boylan after he got pulled from a short stint in Saturday’s home loss to the Pacers.

The Chicago Bulls announced Saturday that the team has recalled rookie forward Demetris Nichols from the Iowa Energy of the D-League. The Bulls also announced they have placed Shannon Brown and Cedric Simmons on assignment with the Energy.
Nichols (6-8, 216) has appeared in four games with the Bulls since the team claimed him on waivers on Dec. 7, 2007. He has also spent time this season in New York and Cleveland, having appeared in three games with the Cavaliers before his stint with Chicago. In 14 games with the Energy this season, Nichols has posted averages of 19.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.14 spg and 1.00 bpg in 37.6 mpg.
Brown (6-4, 211) has appeared in four games since the Bulls acquired him via trade with Cleveland on Feb. 21, and holds averages of 6.0 ppg and 1.0 rpg in 12.3 mpg in 19 appearances this season with Cleveland and Chicago.
Simmons (6-9, 235), also acquired by the Bulls in the Feb. 21 trade, has seen action in four games in Chicago. On the season, he has played in 11 games and averaged 0.5 ppg and 1.5 rpg in 7.1 mpg.

Chicago Bulls Vice President of Basketball Operations John Paxson has levied a two-game suspension on second-year forward Tyrus Thomas for an unexcused absence from practice today. Thomas will serve the suspension during Chicago’s next two games, sitting out versus Cleveland tomorrow night at the United Center and at Boston on Friday.
 
Thomas (6-9, 215) has appeared in 54 games, including 17 starts, and averaged 6.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 1.2 apg in 17.3 mpg. He has also shot .412 from the field and .729 from the free throw line.