Bulls thrive with Hinrich setting tempo
Tyrus Thomas' return from a broken arm will get most of the attention, but the addition of Kirk Hinrich to the starting lineup for Saturday's 96-85 win over New Orleans was another important factor.
The most noticeable statistic was the Bulls posting a season-high of 28 assists - 4 better than their previous best, set against Golden State on Dec. 11.
Hinrich finished with 14 points, 7 assists and even knocked down 3 of 5 attempts from 3-point range. Derrick Rose contributed 9 assists and also scored 14 points.
"Kirk made sure everybody was on the same page, in the right coverages," center Joakim Noah said. "It was good to have him out there. It was like having two point guards."
Former starter John Salmons had a rough night off the bench, scoring 3 points and hitting 1 of 5 shots in 23 minutes. The other starting lineup change was negligible. Rookie Taj Gibson started, but he played less than nine minutes because of foul trouble.
Coming off a stretch of scoring 2 points in his last 80 minutes, center Brad Miller logged just five minutes off the bench as New Orleans played with a small lineup throughout.
"I thought it might have been one of our best games moving the ball," forward Luol Deng said. "We had good looks. I think it just shows that's how we need to play; that's the kind of team we are. We have to look at today and take that message from it."
New heights for Noah: New Orleans didn't use anyone taller than 6-foot-10 Emeka Okafor on the front line Saturday, and Bulls center Joakim Noah took advantage to pile up 17 points and 18 rebounds, which got the attention of Hornets star Chris Paul.
"I take my hat off to Joakim Noah," Paul said. "His energy on the glass was great and really big for them. I told the guys when they were talking about the big lead they lost the other night that this was a good team. I told them their personnel is quick and would be a problem for us."
Been there, seen that: New Orleans coach Jeff Bower was an advance scout for the Hornets in 1996 and remembered attending Utah's 36-point comeback against Denver. The Bulls executed the largest collapse since that game when they squandered a 35-point lead against Sacramento last Monday.
"It's amazing when things start to go like that," Bower said in the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "It's something we've all faced with the snowball effect, whether it's a 12- or 22-(point deficit). We all know that feeling when it starts to slide."
Bull horns: Former Bulls coach Tim Floyd was back at the United Center on Saturday. He became New Orleans' lead assistant when general manager Jeff Bower took over for Byron Scott on Nov. 12. - Despite the snowstorm, the United Center was packed Saturday with an announced crowd of 22,008.