Bulls' return home ends with overtime loss to 76ers

CHICAGO - The annual and typically brutal extended November trip is over. Five of the next eight games are at the United Center. Seven are against teams with sub-.500 records.

All to which Larry Hughes says: So what?

"We don't strike fear in a lot of people right now," Hughes said.

"We're not good enough to do that. That's not saying by January or February we won't be. But we have to fight for everything we get."

Indeed, no matter what the schedule says, the Bulls remain at a point where game planning is happening far more than, say, championship parade planning.

The Bulls' work in progress continued Tuesday night with a 103-95 loss in overtime to the 76ers in their first United Center appearance in 17 days, dropping to 8-10. Hence, Hughes' warning.

Trailing 79-70 with just more than six minutes remaining, the Bulls rallied behind Derrick Rose and a solid fourth quarter by Tyrus Thomas.

The Bulls trailed 90-83 when Andre Iguodala slid free down the baseline for a dunk. But Rose scored three straight points, including a twisting, right-handed bank shot in traffic and Drew Gooden added two free throws with 75 seconds left following an Iguodala miss.

Thomas then spectacularly blocked Andre Miller's shot but was called for an offensive foul at the other end while converting a left-handed shot in the lane.

Still, Thomas recovered to offer strong help defense on an Iguodala drive, forcing a turnover.

Then Thomas, who played the entire fourth quarter, ferociously slammed home a Rose miss that Iguodala partially blocked with 17.6 seconds to complete the regulation comeback and tie the game at 90-90.

On the 76ers final possession of regulation, Miller's three-pointer from directly in front of the Bulls' bench came up well short just before the final buzzer.

Before the game, Hughes said, "We can't look at the schedule. We have to focus on what we can control. Teams' records don't always show what they're capable of."