Bulls taking playoffs in stride
The Bulls were in no mood to celebrate the clinching of a playoff spot on Friday night. The Bulls had officially made it in thanks to Charlotte's loss at Oklahoma City.
Coach Vinny Del Negro said he went straight to bed after finding out, while rookie Derrick Rose didn't even hear the news until checking his phone messages Saturday morning.
"I think we're supposed to be in here," Rose shrugged. "We're playing good right now. We've just got to continue to play that way."
"This is the first time I've ever clinched a playoff spot sitting on my couch at home," added Ben Gordon.
Del Negro didn't want to talk about potential playoff matchups before Saturday's game. The Bulls could end up facing Cleveland, Boston or Orlando in the first round.
But when someone suggested that it sounded as though Del Negro didn't care which team the Bulls play, he spoke up.
"I think the matchups do matter," Del Negro said. "Am I going to tell you what matchups I think fit us better? No. But I think it's also important going in to have some type of momentum and some type of confidence. You build confidence with a young team by winning."
Nelson on board: Guard DeMarcus Nelson was in uniform for the first time on Saturday, but did not play against the Bobcats. Nelson was named the ACC defensive player of the year last season at Duke, but was piling up points the past few weeks for the D-League's Austin Toros.
In his last four games before joining the Bulls, Nelson averaged 28.3 points and shot 62.3 percent from the field. Asked about the change in roles, Nelson pointed out that he was billed as a prolific scorer coming out of high school.
"I'm a rhythm player," said the Sacramento native. "I would take it to the basket first and hit the spot-up shots when they come. I'm definitely an aggressive player, so I try to get into the lane. If guys back off me, I can shoot the ball well, too."
Ready for red: The Bulls are encouraging fans to wear red at all playoff home games, calling it the "See Red" campaign.
The single-color plan has been common in the NBA, particularly in Miami, which went with all-black, red and white during three consecutive playoff seasons. This might have extra significance for the Bulls since they lost longtime broadcaster Johnny "Red" Kerr on Feb. 26.
Bull horns: Tim Thomas is expected to join the Bulls in Detroit on Monday after missing the past three games due to a family emergency. ... Several Bulls taped promos for Chicago's Olympic bid before Saturday's game. ... Joakim Noah set a career-high with 7 assists.