Parker not yet available to fill in for injured Portis
With Bobby Portis back on the shelf with an ankle injury, the Bulls were once again scrambling with lineup combinations.
Jabari Parker and Cameron Payne both sat out Friday's game. Payne has a calf injury, while Parker didn't think he was fully recovered from a stomach virus he caught during the Mexico City road trip.
"Just trying to get in shape, you know," Parker said before the game. "When I come in, I want to contribute. I hold myself to a high standard and I try to do my best to contribute to the team."
Parker said he'd like to get a few more practices in and hopes to be ready to play Sunday in Cleveland, if needed.
Speaking before the game, coach Jim Boylen said the Bulls need "all hands on deck," and praised rookie Chandler Hutchison, who was essentially the backup power forward Friday.
"He's all the things we talk about. He's coachable. He's teachable. And he's becoming reliable," Boylen said of Hutchison. "I love him in the lineup. He's a young, developing guy. His heart's here. His soul is awesome. It's great."
Cartwright pays visit:
Former Bulls center and head coach Bill Cartwright visited the Advocate Center on Friday afternoon and worked with rookie Wendell Carter Jr. for a bit.
"I just told Bill we'd love to have him around whenever he's available," coach Jim Boylen said. "We're going to try to get together with him when we're in California. I think he embodies some of the things we're talking about - leadership, not likership. Toughness. I know Bulls across his chest meant a lot, so it's great to have him.
"He's always welcome. We had Horace (Grant) the other day, which was great. I talked to Scottie (Pippen) a little bit."
But nothing from Dennis Rodman yet?
"I have not talked to him," Boylen said. "But I'd like to."
Portis booted up:
Bobby Portis played in four games before suffering a right knee sprain, then played five before getting knocked out with a left ankle sprain on Wednesday.
"I'm always mentally strong," he said. "I think the best thing right now is that it wasn't my knee again. It was my ankle. Obviously, ankles are just things that happen all the time in basketball.
"You can't control what happens. I can't control how I landed or anything. But I can control me getting treatment every day and get better and to get back on the court."
This is an important season for Portis, since he'll be a restricted free agent next summer. Missing 24 of 33 games isn't a great start.
"Obviously, I'm battle-tested," he said. "I've been through a lot these four years in the league and my whole life. This is just one little piece of adversity I hit this year and I'll overcome it."
Ulis has surgery
Bulls two-way player Tyler Ulis had a left hip arthroscopy Friday and is out indefinitely. The Bulls plan to add 6-5 guard Brandon Sampson from LSU as a two-way player and will likely release Ulis.