Hinrich slowed by bruised knee, but plans to play tonight

Kirk Hinrich is planning to play tonight when the Bulls open a three-game road trip in Miami, but the bruised right knee he suffered during Friday's win over Milwaukee is giving him problems.

Hinrich did not participate in Sunday's practice and was still limping as he moved toward the locker room at the Berto Center.

Hinrich is generally the Bulls' best option against Miami star Dwyane Wade, the NBA's leading scorer at 29.4 points per game.

"He's not doing real well and we need him, no question, especially with Dwyane," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said of Hinrich. "He's got a pretty big bruise and he's really stiff. If Kirk can play, I know he will."

Wade averaged 26.0 points and shot 43.5 percent in Miami's pair of victories over the Bulls this season. Wade was ejected for the first time in his NBA career during Saturday's loss at Cleveland when he picked up a second technical foul in the game's final minute.

Tim Thomas (left knee strain) also sat out Sunday's practice. He played Friday against the Bucks but wasn't very effective. Luol Deng (bruised right tibia) is a longshot to play this week.

Bulls return to road: Since the Feb. 19 trade deadline, the Bulls are 5-0 at home and 0-4 on the road. With the exception of Golden State, the teams they've beaten at home all have better records than the ones they've lost to on the road.

So this week's three-game trip looms large. The Bulls (29-34) pulled into eighth place by beating Milwaukee on Friday, but the Bucks moved within a half-game of the Bulls by winning Saturday, while Charlotte (28-35) is making a move with a franchise-record six straight victories.

"It's such a tight race, if you slip up a little you're going to pay for it," coach Vinny Del Negro said.

Roster remains same: At this point, the Bulls are not planning to add a player through a 10-day contract. But if those three injuries persist, they might have to make a move soon.

The most obvious candidate for another small forward is ex-Bull Linton Johnson, a Chicago resident who has been out of work since being released by Charlotte in December.