--F Taj Gibson has responded well to being pulled from the starting lineup. In four games since becoming a reserve, Gibson has averaged 13.0 points and 7.8 rebounds. It's possible that logging less time against starting-caliber opponents has helped the rookie from USC.

--G John Salmons had another quiet game against Boston on Saturday, scoring four points and hitting two of seven shots, though he did have a season-high nine assists. The Bulls expected to get more outside shooting from Salmons this season, but he's averaging just 1.4 baskets from 3-point range per game at 32.7 percent accuracy.

--G Jannero Pargo sat out all of Friday's win over Golden State, then didn't check in against Boston a night later until the 8:50 mark of the fourth quarter. This could be seen as an unsettling development, since Pargo was signed last summer to bring scoring punch off the bench, something the Bulls sorely lack right now.

MEDICAL WATCH:

--F Tyrus Thomas (broken left arm) was expected to be out until early December after breaking the radius in his left forearm and now that timetable has been extended. This was a freak accident that occurred while Thomas did a pull up during a weightlifting session at the Berto Center. A metal plate was used to repair the break during surgery on Nov. 7.

--C Jerome James (torn right Achilles) hasn't played since early last season, when he was with the Knicks. No one is counting any contributions from him, but he's vowed to get healthy and play sometime this season. He's starting to run again but needs to pass a fitness test before he'll be allowed to practice.