Hornets Vs. Bulls Preview: Richard Hamilton A Game-Time Decision On Tuesday

The Chicago Bulls are currently the number two seed in the Eastern conference NBA playoff bracket, but the second half of their season we focus on overtaking the Miami Heat for that top spot. The journey begins on Tuesday night when they host the lowly New Orleans Hornets at the United Center. All-Star performers Derrick Rose and Luol Deng are still still the centerpiece of the team, but this game might be an opportunity to find out if Richard Hamilton can make a comeback from injury and help the Bulls make their push.

Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune talked with Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau during shootaround, and Thibs said Rip will be a game-time decision:

Thibs says Rip is a gametime decision: "He looks great in practice, but there’s a huge difference between the game and practice." #bulls

— Teddy Greenstein (@TeddyGreenstein) February 28, 2012

Hamilton also added that he will be testing his leg to see if he can make the cuts and off-ball movements necessary to play his game.

For the Hornets, Emeka Okafor (knee) and Jason Smith (concussion) are expected to return to the lineup, but the key is that the team has been playing better basketball recently. After opening up the season 4-23, New Orleans has won four of their last six games behind strong play from Gustavo Ayon and Chris Kaman.

Here's a look at some basic information to help you find the game:

Game date/time: 7:00 PM CT, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012

Location: United Center, Chicago, IL.

TV: NBA TV, CSN-Chicago

For updates on the matchup, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Blog a Bull. News and notes from around the NBA are available at SB Nation's NBA news hub.