Gordon starts as Hinrich sits

When Kirk Hinrich turned his right ankle in the second quarter of Tuesday's victory over New Jersey, it seemed to be little cause for concern, since he returned in the second half and finished with 14 points.

But the ankle became swollen overnight and kept him out of Thursday's loss to San Antonio. Ben Gordon and Larry Hughes started together in the backcourt for the first time. It was Gordon's first start since Jim Boylan took over as head coach Dec. 27.

"I just don't think I'd be very effective, because any type of planting or moving or anything like that is bothering me," Hinrich said before the game.

Backup point guard Chris Duhon was out again with an illness, though he sat on the bench in street clothes. Duhon has now missed three games with flu-like symptoms and hasn't played since March 7 in Boston.

Hinrich felt certain he'd be able to play Saturday against Indiana. In the meantime, the injury temporarily resolved the Bulls' backcourt logjam.

"Not really the way I wanted to solve it, but it certainly opens up some more minutes for some people," coach Jim Boylan said before the game.

Swiss connection: One odd coincidence within the Bulls is how after graduating from Marquette, Jim Boylan spent five years playing professionally in Vevey, Switzerland. That also happens to be the hometown of Thabo Sefolosha.

"My daughter was born in the same hospital as Thabo 10 days after he was," Boylan said. "So it's a pretty amazing, small world. We played for the same club team. Thabo was a young little baby when I was walking around in his hometown."

Asked to describe Vevey, Boylan said: "It's fantastic. A beautiful place, right on Lake Geneva, surrounded by mountains, vineyards, the lake. It's one of the most beautiful places in the world."

Spurred to victory: The Spurs came to town riding a four-game losing streak, their longest in seven years. They hadn't lost five in a row since 1996-97, the year before Tim Duncan arrived.

Before San Antonio got back in the win column against the Bulls, coach Gregg Popovich bristled at the notion that the losing streak had left his players stunned.

"I've got to tell you, I think that's just horse (manure)," Popovich said. "It's the same guys who have been here for 12 years. They have that same look whether they win or lose. We're the most boring team in the league. We're not funny. We're not sexy. We just sit there. Because we lose doesn't mean they're dazed."

If the playoffs started today, the Spurs would be the No. 6 seed in the West.

"The first seed is as good as the eighth seed and the eighth seed is as good as the first seed, and that's no exaggeration," Popovich said. "Seeds are really irrelevant."