Newcomers integral part of Bulls' win vs. Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS - The Timberwolves have a large cutout of the moon hanging from the ceiling of the Target Center.

For the home team, it's a full moon and fans are asked to howl when opponents shoot free throws and, yes, it's as annoying as it sounds. To the Bulls, it was more of a new moon as they took the court Friday with four newcomers on the active roster.

They sent forward Hakim Warrick and guard Flip Murray into the fray quickly, and both players were on the floor during a decisive 14-4 run to open the fourth quarter. The Bulls went on to win 100-94, coasting to the finish after opening a 13-point lead with 3:12 remaining.

"I got lost a couple times and I think my teammates did a really good job of pointing me in the right direction," said Warrick, who finished with 10 points and 9 rebounds. "As long as you're aggressive and active, good things are going to happen."

The Bulls (28-26) won their third straight coming out of the all-star break and can finish a perfect week back at home tonight against Philadelphia.

To make his new teammates feel comfortable, point guard Derrick Rose (19 points) searched through his personal vault of bad memories.

"These guys, every time we played them, they killed us," Rose said. "So we knew Hakim Warrick, give him midrange (jumpers). He'll post up, shoot his shot. Just let Flip score. He's a great 1-on-1 player, and he's a shooter."

The visitors held a slim 77-76 lead heading into the fourth quarter. That's when Murray had his best moments, scoring 6 of his 8 points during the 14-4 run, which he began with a nice drive through traffic.

Defense was the most obvious difference for the Bulls, considering they allowed 58 points in the first half and just 36 after halftime. They also piled up a 16-7 edge in offensive rebounds, despite relying on several small lineups.

They started the second quarter with Murray, Kirk Hinrich and Jannero Pargo playing together. In the third quarter, they used a front line of Warrick, Luol Deng and James Johnson.

"They did a good job of coming in and adjusting," Hinrich said of the new players. "Most NBA teams run the same sets anyway. They've been in the league long enough, they'll probably pick it up really quick. When you're a little disorganized, the main thing is to go out there and play hard. That's what they did."

Hinrich led the Bulls with 20 points, matching a season high. By knocking down a pair of 3-pointers, he also tied Ben Gordon as the team's all-time leader in 3-point baskets with 770.

He matched the record one day after surviving another NBA trade deadline day. The Bulls were trying to trim the payroll and build cap room, but ended up not trading Hinrich.

"I'm definitely happy to be here, but there wasn't a crazy celebration or anything like that," he said.

Forward Joe Alexander and guard Acie Law were in uniform, but they didn't play. The Bulls got Warrick and Alexander from Milwaukee for John Salmons, while Murray and Law arrived from Charlotte with a future first-round pick for Tyrus Thomas.