Nobody had to say, ‘‘Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte,’’ in the Time Warner Cable Arena Wednesday night. It was so quiet, you could see Michael Jordan.

And with 4:24 left in the Bulls’ 101-84 victory, it got real quiet on the Bulls bench.

Carlos Boozer limped off the floor and into the locker room after injuring his left ankle.

‘‘The X-rays were negative,’’ said coach Tom Thibodeau, not ready to speculate on how long Boozer might be sidelined, or even if he’ll be out. ‘‘It’s too early. We’ll just have to wait and see tomorrow what type of swelling he has. It’s his left ankle. He came down pretty hard. I’m hoping it’s just his ankle.’’

The power forward landed awkwardly when he was fouled by Kwame Brown as he went up for a dunk with the Bulls leading by 17 points.

Boozer, who was receiving treatment, was unavailable. But Taj Gibson, who would be his key replacement if Boozer is out, said the play, in which Brown received a flagrant foul, was all part of the game.

‘‘This is the NBA,’’ Gibson said. ‘‘Nobody wants to get embarrassed. Nobody’s going to give anybody anything easy. It’s unfortunate, but that was just a basketball play Kwame made.’’

If Boozer is sidelined, Gibson, who filled in well when Boozer missed the first 15 games of the season with a fractured fifth metacarpal bone in his hand, said he’ll be ready.

‘‘‘I’ve been in this role many times the last two years,’’ the second-year forward from USC said. ‘‘I have to get my mind right if it does happen, and just play my game, play with a lot of energy, and just try to hold it down while he’s down.’’

Gibson did exactly that against the Hornets. When Boozer went to the bench with two fouls two minutes into the game, Gibson not only didn’t miss a beat. He almost didn’t miss a shot, going 6-for-7 for 14 points, and had six rebounds.

Luol Deng also left the game, after playing 35 minutes, with a bruised left thigh. He could have gone back in, Thibodeau said.

‘‘I’ll be fine,’’ Deng said while icing the thigh after the game.

It was another night when the bench came up big. Besides Gibson, Kyle Korver (20 points, 7-for-10) shared team scoring honors with Derrick Rose (20 points, six assists).

If the Bulls’ last road game, at Miami, was a marquee melodrama, this game felt like a wee-hours rerun, with no remote in sight.

Before Bobcats owner Jordan and a Charlotte crowd that was about as hushed as El Heat fans were delirious, the Bulls did what good teams do. They handled Charlotte.

It was their fourth straight win, and their 11th in 13 games, even though nine of those 13 games have come on the road.

The Bobcats even let the Bulls wear their white uniforms, which are generally reserved for the United Center.

If Boozer is gone for any length of the time, the Bulls will feel it. But they have the depth and the mind-set to overcome it.

‘‘It’s going to hurt us’’ if Boozer is out, Rose said, ‘‘but we still have to go out there and play the game. It’s going to take a lot more energy, a lot more focus going into games. And people are going to have to step up. If it happens, Taj did a great job when Carlos was out before.

‘‘People are going to have to play big minutes. I think our team should be fine, but I hope he plays the next game.’’

Nobody had to say, ‘‘Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte,’’ in the Time Warner Cable Arena Wednesday night. It was so quiet, you could see Michael Jordan.

And with 4:24 left in the Bulls’ 101-84 victory, it got real quiet on the Bulls bench.

Carlos Boozer limped off the floor and into the locker room after injuring his left ankle.

‘‘The X-rays were negative,’’ said coach Tom Thibodeau, not ready to speculate on how long Boozer might be sidelined, or even if he’ll be out. ‘‘It’s too early. We’ll just have to wait and see tomorrow what type of swelling he has. It’s his left ankle. He came down pretty hard. I’m hoping it’s just his ankle.’’

The power forward landed awkwardly when he was fouled by Kwame Brown as he went up for a dunk with the Bulls leading by 17 points.

Boozer, who was receiving treatment, was unavailable. But Taj Gibson, who would be his key replacement if Boozer is out, said the play, in which Brown received a flagrant foul, was all part of the game.

‘‘This is the NBA,’’ Gibson said. ‘‘Nobody wants to get embarrassed. Nobody’s going to give anybody anything easy. It’s unfortunate, but that was just a basketball play Kwame made.’’

If Boozer is sidelined, Gibson, who filled in well when Boozer missed the first 15 games of the season with a fractured fifth metacarpal bone in his hand, said he’ll be ready.

‘‘‘I’ve been in this role many times the last two years,’’ the second-year forward from USC said. ‘‘I have to get my mind right if it does happen, and just play my game, play with a lot of energy, and just try to hold it down while he’s down.’’

Gibson did exactly that against the Hornets. When Boozer went to the bench with two fouls two minutes into the game, Gibson not only didn’t miss a beat. He almost didn’t miss a shot, going 6-for-7 for 14 points, and had six rebounds.

Luol Deng also left the game, after playing 35 minutes, with a bruised left thigh. He could have gone back in, Thibodeau said.

‘‘I’ll be fine,’’ Deng said while icing the thigh after the game.

It was another night when the bench came up big. Besides Gibson, Kyle Korver (20 points, 7-for-10) shared team scoring honors with Derrick Rose (20 points, six assists).

If the Bulls’ last road game, at Miami, was a marquee melodrama, this game felt like a wee-hours rerun, with no remote in sight.

Before Bobcats owner Jordan and a Charlotte crowd that was about as hushed as El Heat fans were delirious, the Bulls did what good teams do. They handled Charlotte.

It was their fourth straight win, and their 11th in 13 games, even though nine of those 13 games have come on the road.

The Bobcats even let the Bulls wear their white uniforms, which are generally reserved for the United Center.

If Boozer is gone for any length of the time, the Bulls will feel it. But they have the depth and the mind-set to overcome it.

‘‘It’s going to hurt us’’ if Boozer is out, Rose said, ‘‘but we still have to go out there and play the game. It’s going to take a lot more energy, a lot more focus going into games. And people are going to have to step up. If it happens, Taj did a great job when Carlos was out before.

‘‘People are going to have to play big minutes. I think our team should be fine, but I hope he plays the next game.’’

Carlos Santana has released his latest collaboration album, Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics Of All Time.

Santana has called on a diverse group of collaborators for the project including hip-hop star Nas on a cover of AC/DC's "Back in Black" and his old pal Rob Thomas on Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love."

The guitarist will also collaborate with Chris Cornell on Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" and Scott Weiland on the Rolling Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knocking." Creed's Scott Stapp will appear on Credence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son."

The Guitar Heaven tracklisting appears below.

1. "Whole Lotta Love" (featuring Chris Cornell)

2. "Can't You Hear Me Knocking'" (featuring Scott Weiland)

3. "Sunshine of Your Love" (featuring Rob Thomas)

4. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (featuring india.arie and Yo-Yo Ma)

5. "Dance the Night Away" featuring Pat Monahan

6. "Back in Black" (featuring Nas and Janelle Monáe)

7. "Riders on the Storm" (featuring Chester Bennington and Ray Manzarek)

8. "Smoke on the Water" (featuring Jacoby Shaddix)

9. "Photograph" (featuring Chris Daughtry)

10. "Bang a Gong" (featuring Gavin Rossdale)

11. "Little Wing" (featuring Joe Cocker)

12. "I Ain't Superstitious" (featuring Jonny Lang)

13. "Fortunate Son" (featuring Scott Stapp)*

14. "Under the Bridge" (featuring Andy Vargas)*

Carlos Santana has released his latest collaboration album, Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics Of All Time.

Santana has called on a diverse group of collaborators for the project including hip-hop star Nas on a cover of AC/DC's "Back in Black" and his old pal Rob Thomas on Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love."

The guitarist will also collaborate with Chris Cornell on Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" and Scott Weiland on the Rolling Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knocking." Creed's Scott Stapp will appear on Credence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son."

The Guitar Heaven tracklisting appears below.

1. "Whole Lotta Love" (featuring Chris Cornell)

2. "Can't You Hear Me Knocking'" (featuring Scott Weiland)

3. "Sunshine of Your Love" (featuring Rob Thomas)

4. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (featuring india.arie and Yo-Yo Ma)

5. "Dance the Night Away" featuring Pat Monahan

6. "Back in Black" (featuring Nas and Janelle Monáe)

7. "Riders on the Storm" (featuring Chester Bennington and Ray Manzarek)

8. "Smoke on the Water" (featuring Jacoby Shaddix)

9. "Photograph" (featuring Chris Daughtry)

10. "Bang a Gong" (featuring Gavin Rossdale)

11. "Little Wing" (featuring Joe Cocker)

12. "I Ain't Superstitious" (featuring Jonny Lang)

13. "Fortunate Son" (featuring Scott Stapp)*

14. "Under the Bridge" (featuring Andy Vargas)*

For a few years now, it has been extremely clear that the Chicago Bulls, for all their talent, lacked a scorer in the post. Signing Carlos Boozer away from the Utah Jazz for a reported $80 million over five years appears to have remedied that problem, even if the roster as a whole might not be a finished product.
Boozer has a few definable skills in the fantasy game. He generally is good for 20 points per game and has been a double-digit rebounder in each of the past four seasons. Only once in his career has he failed to shoot well over 50 percent from the floor. He has great hands and consistently racks up more than one steal per game. Without question, when healthy, Boozer is a fantastic fantasy player, and that shouldn't change with the Bulls, where his scoring from the power forward position corrects perhaps the biggest flaw in Chicago's roster. Considering the Bulls likely will lose Brad Miller, there will be plenty of minutes for Boozer, too -- more, it seems, than the 34 or so per game he's been playing for the Jazz the past few seasons. If anything, Boozer's stock should be a little higher next season, as long as he's able to remain reasonably healthy.

For the rest of the Bulls, based on what we know as of right now, this has to be seen as a major victory. Boozer's ability to score outside of the paint on jump shots should help open up things for Derrick Rose's superstar-level penetration. I would expect to see Rose have to take fewer bad shots, which should mean more assists (say seven or eight per game instead of six) and a better field goal percentage (up from his already-stellar 49 percent clip last season). Boozer's presence might cost Joakim Noah a rebound or two, but Boozer's ability to score should mesh pretty well with Noah's skills as a passer, and Noah already has proved he's one the league's best rebounders, no matter who is playing alongside him.

I don't see major changes coming statistically for the other Bulls; Boozer's scoring might mean slightly fewer chances for Luol Deng, for example, but the chances Deng does get should be better ones. As any basketball watcher is aware, having a player who can score consistently close to the basket tends to open up things, and Boozer has been a cog in one of the league's most efficient offenses for years now.

That said, Taj Gibson is the Bulls player with the most to lose. After playing nearly 27 minutes per game as a rookie, he'll now be relegated to bench duty, and unless Boozer gets hurt, it's hard to imagine Gibson's playing the same amount of minutes this time around. Gibson is, however, a pretty good shot-blocker, so he deserves to be on your radar as long as he posts 20 or more minutes per contest.
For the Jazz, clearly, this has to be seen as the big chance for Paul Millsap. He already has been an important fantasy player as Boozer's backup; if his minutes get bumped up from 28 to, say, 36 or so, we could be talking about a top-25 player, given his ability to block shots (1.2 per game last season), get steals (0.8 per game last season) and shoot a high percentage (54 percent for last season). I'd be perfectly happy to spend a fourth-round pick on Millsap in most fantasy drafts.

Obviously, losing a player with Boozer's ability on the offensive end and on the glass hurts a team a lot, but with Millsap as a ready-made replacement, it's possible there might not be too much upheaval. One player to look closely at is Andrei Kirilenko. Never a good bet to stay healthy, Kirilenko tends to be extremely productive in fantasy when he's actually playing, and given the current roster situation for the Jazz, Kirilenko will be an important piece going forward. In fantasy drafts, he is a major risk/reward type of player, but he's one of the few guys around with a top-20 ceiling if everything breaks right.

Losing Boozer isn't great for Deron Williams, but Williams has been the best player on the Jazz for a few seasons now, and I'm not too worried about the fantasy potential of a guy who is, at worst, one of the three best point guards in the world.

For the rest of the Jazz, things probably don't change that much. If there are minimal future roster changes, the Jazz will make up for Boozer's scoring among Millsap, Mehmet Okur, Wesley Matthews and C.J. Miles, but for now, none of their overall fantasy profiles should change much, if at all, save Millsap. The Jazz will continue to play the same style as before, and the only major gainer should be the obvious one: Millsap.

For a few years now, it has been extremely clear that the Chicago Bulls, for all their talent, lacked a scorer in the post. Signing Carlos Boozer away from the Utah Jazz for a reported $80 million over five years appears to have remedied that problem, even if the roster as a whole might not be a finished product.
Boozer has a few definable skills in the fantasy game. He generally is good for 20 points per game and has been a double-digit rebounder in each of the past four seasons. Only once in his career has he failed to shoot well over 50 percent from the floor. He has great hands and consistently racks up more than one steal per game. Without question, when healthy, Boozer is a fantastic fantasy player, and that shouldn't change with the Bulls, where his scoring from the power forward position corrects perhaps the biggest flaw in Chicago's roster. Considering the Bulls likely will lose Brad Miller, there will be plenty of minutes for Boozer, too -- more, it seems, than the 34 or so per game he's been playing for the Jazz the past few seasons. If anything, Boozer's stock should be a little higher next season, as long as he's able to remain reasonably healthy.

For the rest of the Bulls, based on what we know as of right now, this has to be seen as a major victory. Boozer's ability to score outside of the paint on jump shots should help open up things for Derrick Rose's superstar-level penetration. I would expect to see Rose have to take fewer bad shots, which should mean more assists (say seven or eight per game instead of six) and a better field goal percentage (up from his already-stellar 49 percent clip last season). Boozer's presence might cost Joakim Noah a rebound or two, but Boozer's ability to score should mesh pretty well with Noah's skills as a passer, and Noah already has proved he's one the league's best rebounders, no matter who is playing alongside him.

I don't see major changes coming statistically for the other Bulls; Boozer's scoring might mean slightly fewer chances for Luol Deng, for example, but the chances Deng does get should be better ones. As any basketball watcher is aware, having a player who can score consistently close to the basket tends to open up things, and Boozer has been a cog in one of the league's most efficient offenses for years now.

That said, Taj Gibson is the Bulls player with the most to lose. After playing nearly 27 minutes per game as a rookie, he'll now be relegated to bench duty, and unless Boozer gets hurt, it's hard to imagine Gibson's playing the same amount of minutes this time around. Gibson is, however, a pretty good shot-blocker, so he deserves to be on your radar as long as he posts 20 or more minutes per contest.
For the Jazz, clearly, this has to be seen as the big chance for Paul Millsap. He already has been an important fantasy player as Boozer's backup; if his minutes get bumped up from 28 to, say, 36 or so, we could be talking about a top-25 player, given his ability to block shots (1.2 per game last season), get steals (0.8 per game last season) and shoot a high percentage (54 percent for last season). I'd be perfectly happy to spend a fourth-round pick on Millsap in most fantasy drafts.

Obviously, losing a player with Boozer's ability on the offensive end and on the glass hurts a team a lot, but with Millsap as a ready-made replacement, it's possible there might not be too much upheaval. One player to look closely at is Andrei Kirilenko. Never a good bet to stay healthy, Kirilenko tends to be extremely productive in fantasy when he's actually playing, and given the current roster situation for the Jazz, Kirilenko will be an important piece going forward. In fantasy drafts, he is a major risk/reward type of player, but he's one of the few guys around with a top-20 ceiling if everything breaks right.

Losing Boozer isn't great for Deron Williams, but Williams has been the best player on the Jazz for a few seasons now, and I'm not too worried about the fantasy potential of a guy who is, at worst, one of the three best point guards in the world.

For the rest of the Jazz, things probably don't change that much. If there are minimal future roster changes, the Jazz will make up for Boozer's scoring among Millsap, Mehmet Okur, Wesley Matthews and C.J. Miles, but for now, none of their overall fantasy profiles should change much, if at all, save Millsap. The Jazz will continue to play the same style as before, and the only major gainer should be the obvious one: Millsap.

Carlos Zambrano is about to become the most expensive set-up man in baseball.

The right-hander, who hasn't pitched in relief since 2002 and is making $17.8 million this season, is being shifted to the bullpen in what may not be a temporary move.

Zambrano, who dropped to 1-2 with a 7.45 ERA after allowing two runs in six innings against the Mets last night, will be the primary set-up man to closer Carlos Marmol, manager Lou Piniella told reporters in New York.

FANTASY WINDUP: Move kills Zambrano's value

Piniella had been facing a decision regarding his rotation with Ted Lilly due to return from the disabled list on Saturday. The other leading candidates for the bullpen, Tom Gorzelanny (1.93 ERA in two starts) and Carlos Silva (1-0, 0.69 ERA in two starts), have been impressive thus far, prompting Piniella to turn to Zambrano, 28, who has appeared in 263 games in his career, 242 as a starter.

The Cubs bullpen has been among the worst in the majors, ranking 15th in the NL with a 6.15 ERA.

"This makes all the since in the world," Piniella said. "This is an area that needs some attention. (Lilly's return) gives us an opportunity to do it."

Carlos Zambrano is about to become the most expensive set-up man in baseball.

The right-hander, who hasn't pitched in relief since 2002 and is making $17.8 million this season, is being shifted to the bullpen in what may not be a temporary move.

Zambrano, who dropped to 1-2 with a 7.45 ERA after allowing two runs in six innings against the Mets last night, will be the primary set-up man to closer Carlos Marmol, manager Lou Piniella told reporters in New York.

FANTASY WINDUP: Move kills Zambrano's value

Piniella had been facing a decision regarding his rotation with Ted Lilly due to return from the disabled list on Saturday. The other leading candidates for the bullpen, Tom Gorzelanny (1.93 ERA in two starts) and Carlos Silva (1-0, 0.69 ERA in two starts), have been impressive thus far, prompting Piniella to turn to Zambrano, 28, who has appeared in 263 games in his career, 242 as a starter.

The Cubs bullpen has been among the worst in the majors, ranking 15th in the NL with a 6.15 ERA.

"This makes all the since in the world," Piniella said. "This is an area that needs some attention. (Lilly's return) gives us an opportunity to do it."