An hour before the 2001-02 season began for the Bulls Wednesday night, coach Tim Floyd discussed his opening-day lineup filled with four long-time Bulls who achieved All-Star status.

Of course, that starting lineup, featuring Jamal Crawford, Eddie Robinson, Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry, is sort of a Bulls dream team targeted for the 2003-04 opener, when potential should no longer overshadow results.

In the meantime, Crawford and Robinson are on the injured list while Chandler, 19, and Curry, 18, are on the list of rookies who realize they are not in high school anymore.

In a theme that's been played out the last three seasons, the Bulls (0-1) played hard and hung around before the Pacers (1-1) rode their superior talent to a 98-73 victory before a non-sellout crowd of 18,163 at the United Center. It was the first non-sellout of a Bulls home opener since 1986.

Floyd has lost all four of his openers with the Bulls and never has had a winning record.

''It was totally different from what I expected,'' said Curry, who scored two points in 12 minutes. ''I wasn't nervous until warmups. I go out there and all of the seats that were empty in the exhibition season were filled.

''I'll get used to it. There's a long season left.''