CHICAGO -- Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen spent so many nights entertaining fans at the United Center that it seemed fitting that they got to be enjoy the show for one night.

Jordan, the Bobcats owner, and Pippen, a Bulls ambassador, sat together courtside on Tuesday night, receiving a standing ovation when they were shown on the JumboTron during the first quarter.

"It's great just seeing Mike and Scottie sitting right there," Bulls forward Luol Deng said. "It's been great all year seeing Scottie sit right there. We all look up to Scottie, he's been at practice, but it was good to see Mike there tonight."

Thomas’ 1K: Kurt Thomas became just the 96th player in NBA history to play in his 1,000th game Tuesday night.

"I can't say enough about Kurt's playing," Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said, "Especially at his age. It's amazing to me that he is still a great defender and a great team defender."

For Thomas' part, the game didn't feel that much different, despite a special recognition from the crowd before the contest began.

"It was just another game," he said. "Just another game for me. Didn't even really think about it. Just wanted to find a way to get a win tonight. That's all we were thinking about.

“It's a lot of games. I've been playing a long time, have some great teammates, been on some great runs. It's just been a lot of fun and I'll continue to enjoy the ride."

The last word: Bobcats guard Stephen Jackson on Bulls sharpshooter Kyle Korver:

"You can't leave him open. Everybody knows he can't do anything else but shoot. When he shoots, he shoots it well. You have to respect him as a shooter. He can't really do anything else, but if you let him sit out there and shoot he's going to kill you. He should be in the All-Star 3-point shootout every year.”