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Thanks to Portis and others. Bulls' depth is a good problem once again

During the first two months of the season, Bobby Portis was very aware of the “Free Bobby Portis” movement.

It became a popular hashtag among Chicago Bulls fans. Maybe it's rare for a No. 22 pick with no ties to the city to quickly develop a strong following. It had a lot to do with Portis' strong performance in summer league, and he might have added some fans by being so quotable.

“Everywhere I go. The first thing they say is — I don't want to say it. You all know,” Portis said Tuesday at the Advocate Center.

They say, “Free Bobby Portis,” don't they?

“Yeah, that's all they say everywhere I go,” Portis said with a smile. “I never had fans so behind me and wanting me to play, so it was an ecstatic moment for me.

“Even when I first got in in the Philadelphia game (Dec. 14) at the United Center, that was crazy, too. The crowd just went crazy. They even had 'Free Bobby Portis' signs. 'Let Five Thrive.' ”

Now Portis is entrenched in the rotation, partly because he earned it and partly because Joakim Noah is out at least two weeks with a left-shoulder sprain.

For the record, coach Fred Hoiberg did adjust the rotation to add Portis before Noah was injured.

So far, No. 5 has thrived. In Monday's 104-97 victory over Toronto at the United Center, Portis collected 12 points and 9 rebounds in 27 minutes of action.

Overall, the biggest storyline from the Toronto game was the Bulls' depth finally being an asset. With Noah and Doug McDermott (right-knee strain) out with injuries, and Jimmy Butler (5 points) and Nikola Mirotic (2) having off nights, the Bulls still earned a quality victory by getting huge contributions from Portis, Tony Snell (22 points) and Aaron Brooks (17).

Heading into the season, a strong bench was supposed to be one of the Bulls' greatest strengths. Like the team as a whole, that part has been inconsistent. Sometimes the bench disappoints. Other times the reserves do well, but the starters are bad.

The Bulls trailed Toronto 32-23 after the first quarter, but the reserves quickly erased the deficit, while starters Pau Gasol (22 points) and Derrick Rose (20) played well.

“We were on the bench talking about the game,” Portis said. “We saw that the starters, they really didn't have the energy tonight, so we tried to come out there and play hard to try to uplift our team and get the crowd into it also.”

Portis and Brooks scored the Bulls' first 19 points of the second quarter. Four different players scored in a 16-5 run that finished the third quarter, then Snell might have had the best moment of his three-year NBA career when he scored 16 points in the fourth.

“Every single player, 1 through 15, works extremely hard,” Hoiberg said. “And the thing I loved last night, those guys that finished the game who were on the bench, you see how they were pulling for the guys in the game.

“They were up, engaged, jumping off the bench when good things happened. That's the sign of a good team when you have guys pulling for each other.”

Hoiberg likely will have to make tough lineup choices all season. E'Twaun Moore played reasonably well early in the year but has disappeared lately with Brooks on a roll. Snell didn't play at all in two of the previous three games before carrying the Bulls in the fourth quarter against Toronto.

It seems likely Portis will remain a key contributor until further notice. The 6-foot-11 forward from Arkansas isn't feeling any pressure to not disappoint Free Bobby Portis Nation.

“Nah, no pressure at all,” he said. “It's basketball. (I stay) even keel. I wouldn't say I got tired of it or I enjoyed it. I'm just enjoying the ride and enjoying the moment right now.

“I don't worry about trying to prove anyone wrong or make someone feel like I should play. I'm just going out there trying to have fun and play the game that I love.”

• Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter by following @McGrawDHBulls.

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