Gordon lifts Bulls over Bobcats

Andres Nocioni had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls, who rebounded from a 103-92 loss to the Knicks on Friday.

Thabo Sefolosha and Tyrus Thomas each scored 14 points, while Sefolosha grabbed nine rebounds for Chicago, which has won 13 of its last 15 games.

"We are playing great right now," said Nocioni. "We are playing together and we are playing with great confidence."

Melvin Ely scored a team-high 13 points off the bench for the Bobcats, who were looking to win back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Five straight Charlotte points tied the game at 19 late in the first quarter before the Bulls embarked on a 20-2 run that bridged the first and second quarters.

The spurt featured seven straight points by Gordon and was capped by P.J. Brown’s layup with 7:11 left in the first half that made it 39-21.

"We were joking after the game ’was MJ out there tonight?’ It sure seemed like it," said Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace. "He’s tough to guard."

Chicago took a 55-39 lead into the break and were never threatened in the second half. The Bulls ripped off 13 straight points in the third quarter and took a 84-58 lead into the final quarter.

"This started early with the pace and the balance they set," said Bobcats head coach Bernie Bickerstaff. "That and we ended up shooting 30 percent."

Game Notes

Raymond Felton and Primoz Brezec each had 10 points, while Emeka Okafor finished with 12 rebounds for Charlotte...Luol Deng scored 12 points and Ben Wallace had 11 points and five blocks for the Bulls...Chicago shot 52.4 percent from the floor, while Charlotte shot just 35.6 percent...Bobcats point guard Brevin Knight missed the game with a strained right groin.