Streaky Bulls fade away

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:01 CST

Basketball is a game of runs and momentum swings, but the Bulls and Denver Nuggets took it to ridiculous extremes Saturday night in the Pepsi Center. After controlling much of the first half and leading by 14 points, the Bulls fell apart in the fourth quarter in suffering a 112-93 loss.

Bulls notebook

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:01 CST

Just a few days after being hospitalized because of fluid in his right knee, backup center Aaron Gray rejoined the Bulls in time for the morning shootaround prior to Saturday night's game with the Denver Nuggets in the Pepsi Center. ''I think it was just an infection in the knee,'' Gray said. ''The way it was explained to me, we could wait and let it heal itself or we could take care of it in one shot. So they admitted me to the hospital and got me right into an IV with antibiotics. It's cleared up real nicely.'' ... The infection flared up while Gray already was out with a stress fracture of the lower left leg. The knee problem interrupted his rehabilitation as he spent a couple of days in the hospital before being released Tuesday night. ''It's tough; it's a setback. Obviously not one I can afford right now,'' he said. ''It's just something I'm gonna have to work through and get back as soon as possible to help this team.'' Gray hopes to return to practicing full time by the end of the current road trip. ... There's no NBA team in Wyoming, so Denver is about as close to home that Bulls rookie James Johnson will play this season. Johnson had a host of family and friends at the game, including his mother, father and a brother. ''My mother's never been to a professional basketball game, so this is gonna be her first one,'' Johnson said. ''I'm pretty excited about that.'' ... Nuggets coach George Karl coached Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro with the Milwaukee Bucks. ''I'm kind of surprised he became a coach,'' Karl said. ''I didn't know he wanted the gray hair, to lose hair. I thought he liked the sunshine in Phoenix more than being a crazy coach in the NBA.''

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Streaky Bulls fade away

Bulls notebook