The Bulls finally made a step toward getting healthy Tuesday when forward Drew Gooden returned after missing eight games with an ankle injury.

Forward Luol Deng (sprained ankle) may be back by Friday when the Bulls host Washington, while guard Kirk Hinrich (thumb surgery) plans to start practicing either Wednesday or Thursday.

Whether a complete roster will cure what's ailing the Bulls remains to be seen. Struggling with six losses in the previous seven games, the Bulls finally got on the right track by beating Sacramento, but shot less than 40 percent from the field for the third consecutive game.

"I wish I had an answer other than we are out of sync because of injuries and the schedule," coach Vinny Del Negro said.

The way the Chicago Bulls were converting their free throws, the odds that their performance at the line could actually cost them seemed as long as a full-court heave. And it nearly happened. Ben Gordon scored 24 points and the Chicago Bulls beat the Sacramento Kings 99-94 on Tuesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

The Minnesota Timberwolves celebrated their first winning streak of the season -- at the Chicago Bulls' expense. Randy Foye scored 21 points, Al Jefferson added 18 points and 14 rebounds and the Minnesota won consecutive games for the first time this season, beating Chicago 102-92 on Saturday night. "It took us to wait until we got to the New Year to get it," Jefferson said.

The Cleveland Cavaliers weren't about to follow one big loss with another one. Anderson Varejao scored a career-high 26 points -- the majority of them off passes from LeBron James -- and James had a triple-double as the Cavaliers stayed unbeaten on their floor with a 117-92 win Friday night over the Chicago Bulls after learning center Zydrunas Ilgauskas will miss a month with a fractured bone in...

The way he's pouring in the points, Rashard Lewis just might shoot his way into the All-Star game. Lewis set the tone by scoring 16 of his 21 points in the first half and the Orlando Magic rolled over the Chicago Bulls 113-94 for their eighth win in nine games. "Especially in the first half, I felt like I wasn't going to miss a shot," Lewis said.

Derrick Rose doesn't remember what he was doing on April 17, 2001. "I was in grammar school, probably in the sixth grade," Rose said after leading the Chicago Bulls to their first victory in New Jersey since that date, 100-87 over the Nets on Monday night. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 draft had 21 points and a season-high 13 assists, while Ben Gordon scored 24 points.

After holding 14 of their last 15 opponents under 100 points, the Atlanta Hawks expected a low-scoring game against Chicago. When that plan failed, the Hawks seemed to enjoy a rare opportunity to change their style. Joe Johnson scored a season-high 41 points, Josh Smith also set a season high with 24, and the Hawks withstood Ben Gordon's 3-point barrage to beat the Bulls 129-117 on Saturday night.

Michael Beasley pulled a shirt over his head, which was the only way he could obstruct the postgame grin splashed across his face. "I'm extra happy right now," Beasley said. And it was for a lot of reasons -- most notably the way the Miami Heat clamped down on the Chicago Bulls. Dwyane Wade scored 28 points, Daequan Cook hit three big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as Miami pulled away, and the...

The Lakers have been waiting more than six months for another shot at the Boston Celtics. Now that they'll get it, they might not like it. The Celtics, winners of a franchise-record 19 straight games and off to the best two-loss start in NBA history, visit Staples Center on Thursday for a Christmas Day matchup with the Lakers.