"Richard Hamilton is paying for his decision to suit up against his former team.

Hamilton got through 32 minutes against the Pistons in Detroit on Wednesday and played well with 14 points, five assists and three rebounds.

But he re-injured his sore groin and didn't play Friday night against the Magic in the Bulls' 97-83 win. The Bulls play again Saturday night in Atlanta.

The 33-year-old Hamilton, though, does not regret his decision.

"There was no way I was going to sit out that game," he said. "The adrenaline alone (made me feel like): 'You're good.' I don't care who would have told me how hurt I was. I was playing regardless.

"It pulled in the game, so I wrapped it up. The groin is crazy. It's one of those things that can be nagging."

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said that the opponent was not the reason Hamilton was permitted to play Wednesday.

"He was feeling better, so we thought he was ready," Thibodeau said. "As we go forward, we'll make sure he is healthy."

Derrick Rose said losing Hamilton, who is averaging 12.4 points on 45.2 percent shooting, will "hurt us, but we're ready for anything. We have other guys on the team ready to step in.""