Del Negro: Does rally save him for now?

The Chicago Bulls played poorly enough in the first half to cost Vinny Del Negro his job, then well enough in the second half to save it.

So where does that leave Del Negro on the eve of Christmas Eve -- aka this decade's doomsday for Bulls' coaches?

Just a guess, but an educated one: There's probably a little better than a 50-50 chance that Del Negro is wrapping presents rather than packing boxes on the night before Christmas (which also is the night the Bulls fired former coaches Scott Skiles and Tim Floyd).

I would not have made that strong a statement at halftime, when the Bulls were down by 22 and looking even more lifeless than they were in the closing 18 minutes of their previous night's game, when they blew a 35-point lead and lost to the Sacramento Kings in one of the most epic collapses in NBA history.

But they came back strong in this one after Del Negro benched starters John Salmons and Brad Miller to start the second half, and they pulled within one point in the final minute Tuesday night before losing 88-81 to the host New York Knicks.