Back-up Big men

Renier and Smith were two players I thought would make the team, but I'm surprised at how well they played. With Davis and Curry likely suspended due to fighting, we may see both of them play extensively in the season opener.

What about a starting line up of Harrington, Chandler, Nocioni, Piatkowski, Hinrich?

Here:

Rookie Tommy Smith helped his cause with 10 points in 15 minutes Monday. The 6-foot-10 forward hit the go-ahead basket, a nice half-hook over Washington's Brendan Haywood with 37.4 seconds left.

Backup center Jared Reiner, an undrafted rookie from Iowa, continued to play well. He contributed 6 points and 6 rebounds before suffering a sprained right ankle in the third quarter.

Offense looks sick: The third-quarter brawl and late-game comeback by the Bulls shouldn't obscure the fact that the Bulls looked sick for 2¨ quarters Monday, particularly on offense.