Marcus Fizer's average 23.6 points over 48 minutes. He ranked 39th in the league in that stat through Saturday--one spot better than Minnesota's Wally Szczerbiak, for whom the Bulls considered trading Fizer.

''We make a concerted effort to get him going,'' Bulls guard Greg Anthony said of Fizer. ''He's starting to get a feel for what his strengths are and what he has to do to be effective, and a lot of it is just being comfortable out on the floor.''

''I actually started to turn it on a couple of games before I was put in the starting lineup,'' Fizer pointed out. ''But [starting] helps. It helps me know how focused I have to be from the tip, or I won't be in the starting lineup anymore.

"Coach [Tim Floyd] told me to go out and play hard, so he can have me out there in big-time situations, and that's what this league is all about.''