CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bulls have experienced such a turnaround this season that their wins are now being rated. Ray Nitschke Super Bowl Jersey . According to some observers, the 102-90 victory over the hapless, short-handed Milwaukee Bucks didnt rate because the expected lopsided blowout didnt materialize. The Bulls, who spent much of the first two months of the season below .500, took issue with that assessment. "Just because theyre the worst team in the league doesnt mean . nothing, really," Taj Gibson said. "Its tough because youre playing against guys fighting for their jobs, fighting for their livelihoods. Theyre going to play hard." Jimmy Butler and Kirk Hinrich had 17 points apiece to lead seven players in double figures, and the Bulls, despite some occasional lapses in the fourth quarter, cruised. Carlos Boozer and D.J. Augustin scored 14 points apiece. Gibson added 13, Mike Dunleavy 12 and Joakim Noah had 11 points and 13 rebounds. "A wins a win," Butler said. "Wins are hard to come by in this league. Every team has a roster full of NBA players; there really are no bad teams. You get a win, youre happy with that." The Bulls have won four straight and six of seven, and remained tied with the Toronto Raptors for third in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls (44-32) face Washington, a possible first-round opponent, on Saturday. "I love the balance of the team," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We had seven guys in double figures again. The shot distribution was pretty even, and thats important for us. "I like the balance of our team. Each night it could be someone different." Brandon Knight had 22 points before fouling out with just over two minutes left for Milwaukee. Jeff Adrien added 21 points for the Bucks, who have dropped four straight overall and 12 straight on the road to fall to 14-62 overall. Milwaukee entered the game with just eight healthy players because of injuries and coach Larry Drew decided to play just seven of those until the final 22 seconds of the game. "I thought we did a good job fighting back in the second half," Knight said. "Playing hard. Not backing down. "Theyre a great team playing great basketball right now. Theyre a very solid defensive team. Theyre physical. Theyre everything youd want in a team." The Bulls lead was 27-15 after the first quarter and 51-35 at halftime. The Bucks rallied at the start of the second half and pulled within 63-53 midway through the third quarter. But they werent able to trim the deficit to single digits and the Bulls built their advantage back up to 82-62 entering the fourth quarter. The game appeared over, but the Bulls created some suspense by managing to score just three points in the first six minutes of the period to let Milwaukee pull within 85-77. Hinrich finally broke the drought when he hit a 3-pointer with 5:59 left to make it 88-77. "You have to give them credit," Thibodeau said. "I thought they played hard throughout the game. They never went away. Even when we got up 20, they kept battling back. "I think Larrys done a good job keeping them together. Theyve been hit with a lot of things, but theyre still together." NOTES: The Bulls waived rookie Erik Murphy on Thursday and there have been multiple reports saying they are interested in signing a veteran, possibly former Bull Ronnie Brewer. Murphy had been with the team all season, but only played a total of 62 minutes in 24 games. "It was done more so for roster flexibility," Thibodeau said. "I thought he did a great job for us, and I thought he had gotten significantly better." . Bucks C Larry Sanders, currently out with an injury, was suspended for five game on Friday for violating the NBA drug policy. Sanders said in a statement released by the team that he was penalized for using marijuana. "I think the most important thing is that he learns from his mistakes," Drew said. "Hopefully, he can put them behind him, get on the right track and stay on the right track." Davante Adams Super Bowl Jersey .com) - Maria Sharapova reached her 10th career grand slam final after beating Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets at the Australian Open on Thursday. Kenny Clark Super Bowl Jersey . -- So much for concern that running back Marshawn Lynch would be absent from the Seattle Seahawks minicamp. http://www.officialgreenbaypackerspro.com/Bryan-bulaga-packers-jersey/ . In this weeks Leaf Report podcast, James Mirtle and Jonas Siegel debate whether Toronto can continue their shootout dominance and discuss what Dave Nonis game plan should be heading into the trade deadline.SANTA CLARA, Calif. - San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke is committed to supporting linebacker Aldon Smith like a family member in the wake of his latest legal trouble — and keeping Smith around for the long haul, too. "You continue to work as you would with any family member, you continue to work until they leave you no choice," Baalke said Friday in his annual sitdown with media leading up to the draft. "Does character matter? It does." Baalke repeatedly referenced the word "disappointed" during his 59-minute session when discussing a recent list of off-the-field problems for his 49ers, who lost in the NFC championship game to eventual Super Bowl winner Seattle. Regarding a May 3 deadline whether to exercise Smiths 2015 contract option, Baalke gave all indications he hopes to have the menacing pass rusher in a Niners uniform well into the future. Baalke said for 2015, "and 16, and 17 and 18." Smith was arrested April 13 at Los Angeles International Airport. Police say the 24-year-old NFL star was randomly selected for a secondary screening and became unco-operative with the process, telling a TSA agent that he had a bomb. The district attorney has referred the case for misdemeanour consideration. Baalke said Smith is "growing, starting to understand, starting to realize the importance of his own accountability." Yet this follows Smiths five-game absence last season to undergo treatment after his September DUI arrest. In November, Smith pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of illegal possession of an assault weapon, stemming from a June 2012 party at his home. Investigators say several shots were fired, two partygoers were injured and Smith was stabbed. In the subsequent investigation, prosecutors say detectives found five unregistered, illegal weapons in Smiths house, including two Bushmaster rifles and an Armalite AR-10T. When it comes to how to best deal with Smith going forward, Baalke said thats going to be a process. "Thats still being discussed internally," Baalke said. "Everything factors in, you take a look at everything. The one word I can use to describe the situation is disappointing. The important thing is that its equally as disappointing to Aldon. "Like all of us, you have the keys to your own car. You make decisions and you live with the consequences of those decisions. Life is a growing process, its a growing process for all of us. He knows what needs to bbe done. Jimmy Graham Super Bowl Jersey. Were all accountable. Each and every one of us in this organization is accountable." The 49ers also still hope to reach agreement on a long-term extension with quarterback Colin Kaepernick before the start of training camp. Baalke said the team would let the investigation play out regarding Kaepernick being linked to a Miami police report earlier this month involving a woman who passed out in a hotel and later woke up in a hospital not knowing how she got there. Kaepernick has strongly denied any wrongdoing via Twitter. "Any time an individual puts himself in a situation that becomes newsworthy, we certainly pay attention to it," Baalke said. "To say theres no concern, that would probably be a misrepresentation of the facts. At the same time, lets let this thing play out and lets see where it goes." In addition, cornerback Chris Culliver — who became famous for the wrong reasons when he made anti-gay remarks before the Super Bowl in February 2013 — has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanour hit-and-run charges and felony possession of brass knuckles from a March 28 arrest. "Are we disappointed weve had a string? Absolutely," Baalke said. "One is too many. So if ones too many, then five or six is way too many. This isnt something we take lightly. We expect a lot from our football players. We expect a lot from ourselves." He said he is sorry a few players have hurt the reputation of the entire roster and organization. "Im adamant in my thoughts that this is a good group of men. Have they made some mistakes? Absolutely they have," Baalke said. "Im not going to sit up here and defend them. There is concern. We hold ourselves to a high standard. The community deserves that. We represent the community." Baalke also addressed his working relationship with coach Jim Harbaugh: "To say its always two rams butting heads is so false and misleading. To say theres no tension would also probably be false and misleading, but its good tension." Notes: Baalke said he hasnt heard from LaMichael James or his representatives to formally request a trade, but knows the RB said on Twitter he could benefit from a change. Baalkes understanding is James isnt at the voluntary off-season program because of a new baby at home. ... LG Mike Iupati is out of a walking boot for his broken left leg suffered in the NFC title game. ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org ' ' '