Streaking Bulls pile on late points to beat Magic

A(Reuters) - The Chicago Bulls extended their winning streak to six games with a late run to pull away from the Orlando Magic 97-83 at the Amway Center on Friday.

The Bulls held off a late push by the Magic that narrowed a 17-point lead to just three at 80-77 with six minutes left before securing the victory by limiting the Magic to just one more field goal.

Chicago's Kyle Korver had two of his five three-pointers in the game to stretch the winning margin.

Derrick Rose and Luol Deng led the Bulls attack with 21 points each, Carlos Boozer scored 20 and Korver had 18 off the bench. Rose also had 10 assists and Boozer pulled down 13 rebounds to record double-doubles.

"I thought he (Rose) had a really good command of the game," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "He did a great job of play-making and when he needed to score, he scored."

Dwight Howard scored 14 of his 28 points in the first quarter to keep the Magic close early, but the Bulls seized control of the game in the second quarter with Howard on the bench, building a 10-point lead at halftime.

Howard also had 15 rebounds for a double-double and Jason Richardson added 17 points.

"Quite simply we're not at that level. Not close," conceded Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy.

"And that's OK; I'm not saying that crying or complaining. That's just the way it is. You've got to face reality. We've got to put in the work to reach that level, because right now we're not close to that level of play."

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Bulls ink reigning MVP Rose to five-year extension

DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Derrick Rose was going down the list, thanking just about everyone who helped him become one of the NBA's best players, when he looked to his right.

Seated off to the side was his mother, Brenda.

"I think I can finally say this now. Mom, I finally made it," he said.

Rose, the Chicago Bulls' superstar point guard and the league's reigning MVP, agreed Wednesday to a five-year contract extension worth more than $94 million that kicks in next season.

It's fair to say Rose made it long before this latest news conference. The extension is just another stop in a rapid and steady rise from a tough neighborhood on Chicago's South Side to a starring role with his hometown team after being taken with the No. 1 pick in the draft.He's gone from Rookie of the Year to All-Star to MVP in just three seasons, becoming the youngest player to win the award. That's why the extension was more a formality than a surprise.

The only thing missing from his resume is a championship and that's something he hopes to change in Year 4.

"He embodies all the characteristics that you look for," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "It's a lot more than the talent. The talent is the obvious part. Then, when you look at his will to win, basketball IQ, unselfishness, his humility - I think those are the things that you can build a championship-caliber team around."

The Bulls came close to winning it all last year, leading the league with 62 victories during the regular season and advancing to the Eastern Conference finals before losing to Miami.

That capped a spectacular season in which Rose showed up for camp wondering why he couldn't be MVP after LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh turned down Chicago to unite in Miami. Then, he backed it up with one of the best seasons by a point guard.

He averaged 25 points, 7.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds over 81 games, the only NBA player last year to rank in the top 10 in both scoring and assists. He also became just the fifth player in history (along with Oscar Robertson, John Havlicek, Michael Jordan and James) to post 2,000 points, 600 assists and 300 rebounds in a single season

More important to Rose, he led Chicago to its best season since the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen championship era, and he joined Jordan as the only Bulls players to win the MVP award.He keeps adding new wrinkles to his game, too. In the past, he extended his shooting range. This past offseason, he worked on his post moves.

"I don't think you can put a ceiling on what Derrick can become," general manager Gar Forman said. "It's scary to think that I think he'll continue to get better and better throughout his career."

The extension could bring some more pressure.

Rose shrugged it off. He said money is "the last thing I think about."

Even so, he has some ideas about how he might use it.

He mentioned pouring some of it back into his old neighborhood in Englewood, one of the roughest sections of Chicago. He pointed out a lack of indoor courts and after-school programs for youngsters in that area.

He also thought about how far he's come, going from there to here, and he acknowledged he's sometimes amazed. Along the way, he helped Simeon Career Academy win back-to-back state championships, then led Memphis to the NCAA championship game before the Bulls drafted him with the top pick in 2008 after defying long odds to win the lottery.

Rose is now all of 23 years old.

"Coming from where I'm coming from, I can't explain it," he said. "I really can't explain it. I never would have thought in a million years that I would have signed a contract like this, especially coming from an area where I'm from. No one from Englewood has ever been in my position so sometimes I think, `Why me?"'

Forman thought about that day when the franchise's fortunes changed. The Bulls' director of player personnel at the time, he was at home and wasn't really paying close attention to the draft lottery. After all, the Bulls' had just a 1.7-percent shot at winning it.

"What I remember most about it is the ice cream truck was coming down the street right then," Forman said. "I went out with my two boys and we got ice cream to celebrate."

Rose will be approaching his 29th birthday when his deal expires, and he wants to spend his entire career with the Bulls "unless they trade me or something."

That seems unlikely. He was also asked if he thought about taking less money in order to give the team some extra salary-cap space.

"I don't even know how much I make right now, to tell you the truth," Rose said.

Forman pointed out that Rose made it clear he wanted to stay with the Bulls and didn't seek a player option.

"Derrick absolutely didn't want that," he said. "He wanted a full commitment to the Chicago Bulls and to stay in Chicago. To us, that's really special. He stepped up. The maximum length he could sign is what he wanted to sign."

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Veteran guard Hamilton signs with Bulls

Posted Dec 14 2011 10:29PM - Updated Dec 15 2011 6:48AM

DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- As Richard Hamilton and the Chicago Bulls put the finishing touches on a contract, Derrick Rose couldn't stop beaming Wednesday night.

"With him, I'm going to have a lot more assists this year," the star point guard said.

The Bulls made it official Wednesday night and announced they signed Hamilton to boost a backcourt that already included Rose, the league's MVP.

Terms were not released, but a person familiar with the situation said earlier in the day it's a three-year, $15 million deal. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the contract had not been finalized.

The Chicago Tribune, citing sources, reported the team holds an option for the third year. If the Bulls don't exercise it, he receives some partial guarantees.

Either way, Hamilton is officially a member of the Bulls.

"We are excited to welcome a player, and person, with the credentials of Richard Hamilton to our organization," general manager Gar Forman said in a statement. "Rip has been a winner at every level. His resume speaks for itself, and we are confident that he will be an excellent fit with our team, both on and off the floor."

The three-time All-Star cleared waivers as expected after being bought out by Detroit this week, ending a nine-year run in which the Pistons won a championship and regularly made the Eastern Conference finals.

The 6-foot-7 Hamilton gives Chicago another scoring option along with the height it was seeking in the backcourt.

Hamilton was due to make $19 million guaranteed over the final two years of his contract in Detroit but was bought out for $11 million, saving the rebuilding team $4 million in cap space this year and $4 million more next season.

Entering his 13th year in the league, he joins a team that led the NBA with 62 wins last season and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals before losing to Miami.

The Bulls are looking for more.

With Rose and one of the league's deepest rosters, they believed they were in position to make another big run whether they added a shooting guard or not. Hamilton should help take some of the scoring load off Rose, but he is also coming off a difficult season at age 33. He and some of his teammates clashed with former coach John Kuester, and he averaged just 14.1 points per game, his lowest since his rookie season.

The Pistons had planned to reload with Hamilton when they traded Chauncey Billups to Denver in 2008, but they've been struggling ever since.

During the good times, though, Hamilton was one of the best players on a team that reached at least the conference finals six straight years and captured the championship in 2004. He has averaged 17.7 points in a career that started in 1999 with Washington and flourished in Detroit after being acquired in the Jerry Stackhouse trade.

"It's going to open up everybody's game," Rose said. "With me working on my 3-point shooting, me kicking to him, him kicking it back to me, me making it to the corner, to Lu (Luol Deng), him making shots - I think it's going to open up everyone's game. Everybody's going to have open shots."

Relentlessly running around screens to set up his mid-range jump shots, Hamilton averaged more than 20 points over 120 playoff games with the Pistons and led them in scoring in eight of his nine regular seasons there.

He is one of four active players - Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan are the others - and 20 in NBA history who have averaged at least 20 points over 120 postseason games, according to STATS LLC.

Bulls players have praised Hamilton in recent days. Joakim Noah also went out of his way to compliment Ronnie Brewer on Wednesday.

"I think (Hamilton) would be a great addition to our team," Noah said. "He's obviously a hell of a player, but Ronnie's been having a great camp right now."

Hamilton will have to be a quick study, as will anyone else the Bulls add.

They open the season against the Lakers in Los Angeles on Dec. 25, and they only have two preseason games - at Indiana on Friday and at home against the Pacers next Tuesday.

If Hamilton practices Thursday, would the Bulls use him right away?

"If we sign a player and he's ready to go, yeah," coach Tom Thibodeau said, before the announcement was made. "Just like everyone else, we'll evaluate him once he's here. We'll see what he can do, and then we'll move forward."

Could a newcomer play Friday?

"You can't answer that until you see him," Thibodeau said. "It's similar, if you sign somebody now, to making a trade. The thing that's different is you're coming out of the offseason, and you don't know where guys are, conditioning-wise. But we'll see."

Thibodeau did concede that veterans "pick up things a lot quicker," and Deng thinks he'll have no trouble getting acclimated quickly. He said the Bulls' sets are similar to Detroit's, and Rose's ability to set up teammates should make things easier for Hamilton.

Deng said "you can sense everyone is excited for him to be here."

But he also cautioned: "You name any big-name player and you fit him to any team, it always sounds great. It's up to us to spend a lot of time together and make it work. Having a lot of guys coming back from last year, I think it's going to help out a lot."

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Bulls stifle Heat in easy opening win

(Reuters) - Chicago's defense stifled LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to set-up an easy 103-82 victory over the Miami Heat in the opening game of their Eastern Conference Finals series on Sunday.

Chicago's Derrick Rose, the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP), scored 28 points but it was the Bulls' defense that really stood up, limiting Wade to 18 points and James to 15.

The third member of Miami's 'Big Three', Chris Bosh, managed a playoff-high 30 points but the Heat will have to find a way to improve their offence before Game Two of their best-of-seven series in Chicago on Wednesday.

For the Bulls, their triumph was a continuation of their regular season domination over Miami when they won all three matchups.

But despite their track record and status as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, Chicago found itself viewed as the underdog against Miami heading into the series.

"There are a lot of opinions out there, but we're not getting caught in that," Bulls forward Luol Deng told reporters after finishing with 21 points and playing suffocating defense against James.

"We've won 62 games. We know we're a good team. In order to win you have to think you're the best."

Chicago were clearly at their best during a dominant second half where they outscored the Heat 55-34.

They seized momentum in the third period where they used a 10-0 spurt to turn a one-point deficit into a 67-58 advantage, then let loose in the fourth with three-pointers and vicious dunks as their home fans celebrated the rout.

After overcoming the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics in the second round series, Miami found a much different challenge in Chicago.

The Heat were pounded inside where the Bulls tallied 31 second-chance points to just eight for Miami.

"That will wear any team down," said James, who made just five of 15 shots.

"You play defense hard, then they get an offensive rebound and kick it out for a layup or a dunk, those are demoralizing for a defense. We have to figure out a way to clean that up."

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NBA's Bulls beat Hawks to reach Eastern Final

(Reuters) - The Chicago Bulls advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1998 with a series-clinching 93-73 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.

Displaying the kind of offensive and defensive balance that earned them the best regular-season record, the Bulls brushed past the Hawks to close out the best-of-seven series 4-2.

Chicago will now face the surging Miami Heat for a place in the NBA Finals.

League MVP Derrick Rose delivered one of his most efficient performances of the postseason, finishing with 19 points and 12 assists while taking just 14 shots -- well below his series average of more than 27 attempts per game.

Rose's team mates carried more of the load with Carlos Boozer tallying 23 points and 10 rebounds.

The Hawks were blitzed from the start, trailing by 10 after the first and second quarters, before falling behind by 17 after three.

Joe Johnson scored a team-high 19 points and Josh Smith added 18 for the Hawks.

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Rose leads Bulls to rout of Hawks, Chicago up 2-1

(Reuters) - Chicago's Derrick Rose was in MVP mode on Friday scoring a career-high 44 points to lead the Bulls to a 99-82 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game Three of their NBA playoff series at the Philips Arena.

The Bulls led from start to finish and had the better of the Hawks in virtually every department to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final series.

Chicago got off to a quick start and nursed a six-point advantage through the first quarter and their bench pushed the lead to 13 before the starters returned.

The Hawks mustered one last push in the fourth quarter trimming the lead to 11 points, but Rose responded with eight consecutive points including three-pointers.

Kyle Korver followed up with a three-pointer of his own to push the lead to a game-high 22 points with just under five minutes left allowing the Bulls to coast to victory.

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Chicago's Thibodeau named coach of the year by the league

(Reuters) - Tom Thibodeau of the Chicago Bulls has been named NBA coach of the year after his first season in charge, the league said on Sunday.

Having spent three years working as assistant coach to Doc Rivers with the Boston Celtics, Thibodeau moved to Chicago where he guided the Bulls to a league-best record of 62-20.

Thibodeau becomes the fourth Chicago head coach to win the award, following Johnny "Red" Kerr (1967), Dick Motta (1971) and Phil Jackson (1996).

"This is a well deserved honor for Tom," Bulls general manager Gar Forman said in a statement. "He is a terrific teacher, motivator, tactician and communicator.

"His work ethic, passion for the game and for our players is appreciated. We are thrilled that he is part of the Bulls organization and want to congratulate him."

Thibodeau totaled 475 points, including 76 first-place votes, from a panel of 119 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.

His 62 wins during the regular season tied the NBA record for a first-year head coach set by Paul Westphal of the Phoenix Suns in 1993.

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Rose leads Bulls past Pacers as Lakers, Magic win big

(Reuters) - Derrick Rose showed no effects of his injured left ankle as the Chicago Bulls pushed their way past the Indiana Pacers with a 116-89 first round playoff series-ending rout on Tuesday.

Rose, who sprained his ankle on Saturday, sprung back to action with 25 points and the top-seeded Bulls ended put away the Pacers in a 4-1 best-of-seven series victory.

Meanwhile, the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers took a 3-2 series lead after they stung the New Orleans Hornets with a 106-90 victory, while Orlando kept their series alive with a 101-76 blowout of the Atlanta Hawks.

The Bulls will meet the winner of the Hawks and Magic matchup after winning just their second playoff series since 1998.

"I'm speechless right now," Rose told reporters. "I really can't believe it. It's a great accomplishment. I'm happy for my team mates and my coaching staff."

Chicago had battled through four close games with Indiana but ran away in Game Five.

The Bulls grabbed a 30-19 third-quarter advantage that gave them an 84-65 lead heading into the fourth.

Luol Deng finished with 24 points to support Rose and Chicago held the visitors to 39 percent shooting.

Danny Granger led the way with 20 for Indiana.

Despite the loss the Pacers showed some positive signs, reaching their first post-season since 2006 under coach Frank Vogel, who took over mid-season for the fired Jim O'Brien.

Kobe Bryant, also battling an ankle sprain, left little doubt about his health when he slammed down a vicious dunk over Emeka Okafor in the second quarter and finished with 19 points to spark the Lakers.

Bryant was hurt in Sunday's loss to the Hornets but responded well as the Lakers moved one win from advancing to the second round. Game Six is on Thursday in New Orleans.

Trevor Ariza scored 22 points and Chris Paul recorded 20 and 12 assists for the Hornets who were outscored 52-39 in the second half.

Orlando's win was spurred by Jason Richardson's 17 points, in his return from a one-game suspension due to an altercation in Game Three.

Orlando is hoping to become just the ninth team to come from down 3-1 to win a best-of-seven series. Game Six is on Thursday in Atlanta.

All Star center Dwight Howard, who was averaging 32.2 points per game, managed just eight points and eight rebounds while battling foul trouble.

Josh Smith had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks who trailed 58-35 at halftime and never recovered.

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Portland rally stuns Dallas, others leave it too late

(Reuters) - The Portland Trail Blazers, led by Brandon Roy, overcame a 23-point deficit to stun the Dallas Mavericks 84-82, while late rallies by the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls and Denver Nuggets fell short.

Roy scored 18 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter including the game-winning basket with 39.2 seconds left, thrilling the fans at the Rose Garden, and leveling the best of seven series at two home wins each.

The Trail Blazers survived two missed three point attempts by the Mavericks in the closing seconds.

"It still doesn't feel real yet. Just an unbelievable game, the comeback," said Roy who underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees in mid-January.

"With everything I've been through this season, it all came into that moment there on the court, when guys were grabbing me and cheering me on. It was real special."

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 points for Portland and Gerald Wallace recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 20 points.

In Memphis, the eighth seeded Grizzlies hung on for a 91-88 win over the San Antonio Spurs to grab a 2-1 lead over the Western Conference's top seed.

The Grizzlies seized control of the game early with a 14-4 surge spanning the first and second quarter, but needed a rare three-point basket from Zach Randolph with 41.9 seconds secure the victory.

Randolph led the Grizzlies with 25 points while the Spurs were led by Manu Ginobili's 23 points.

In Indianapolis, the Chicago Bulls blitzed the Pacers in the final four minutes but were unable to complete the comeback falling 89-84.

Chicago outscored the Pacers 18-3 over a 3:30 span to move to within one point at 85-84 with 15.3 seconds but Danny Granger, who led the Pacers with 24 points, hit two critical free throws extending the Pacers lead back to three points.

Chicago's Carlos Boozer missed on a clear three point attempt on a broken play with three seconds remaining and Granger hit two more free throws to finish the game.

Joakim Noah led Chicago with 21 points and 14 rebounds and Rose scored 15 points and had 10 assists.

In the late game, the Oklahoma City Thunder rebounded from a dismal third quarter for a 97-94 win over the Denver Nuggets to take a commanding 3-0 series lead.

The Nuggets outscored Oklahoma City 24-15 in the third quarter to take a 73-71 lead into the fourth quarter. Russell Westbrook led the Thunder to victory in the fourth quarter with 13 of his 23 points.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 26 points and Kenyon Martin, Nene, and J.R. Smith scored 15 points each for Denver.

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Pacers beat Bulls 89-84 to avoid elimination

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Danny Granger scored 24 points and the Indiana Pacers avoided elimination by holding off a furious rally to beat the Bulls 89-84 on Saturday afternoon for their first playoff win since 2006.

Carlos Boozer missed a 3-point attempt that could have tied the game with a second remaining.

Indiana never trailed and finally broke through after losing the first three games by a combined 15 points.

Chicago's fans traveled to Indiana by the thousands, planning to celebrate a first-round playoff victory at Conseco Fieldhouse.

The Pacers sent them home disappointed,

The Bulls still lead the series 3-1 and will have a chance to close it out at home Tuesday.

Bulls guard Derrick Rose, who averaged 32.7 points in the first three games, finished with 15 points and 10 assists. He sprained his left ankle late in the first quarter and scored eight points on 3-for-16 shooting the rest of the way.

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Rose Leads Bulls Past Pacers for 3-0 Lead

INDIANAPOLIS -- Derrick Rose took the Pacers' best shots in Game 3.

Chicago's star guard picked himself up off the floor and still delivered the decisive blow.

Rose beat Dahntay Jones off the dribble, getting a rare clean shot to the basket with 17.8 seconds left for the go-ahead layup that gave the Bulls an 88-84 victory and a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series.

Take that, Pacers.

"It was frustrating a little bit," Rose admitted of Thursday's strong-armed tactics. "But that's basketball. If you don't stand up to it, no one will."

Rose, as usual, did his part.

Yes, he spent the first three quarters contending with the bigger Paul George, the feisty Jones and the relentless Jeff Foster, once running smack into an elbow and repeatedly taking hard fouls that sent him sprawling on the floor.

The continual punches did a number on the Bulls' MVP candidate.

He made only 4 of 18 shots, just one basket in the second half and finished with only two assists and five turnovers in 42 1/2 minutes. The game obviously took a toll on Rose, who slowly climbed the stairs to the dais for the postgame news conference.

But Rose still found ways to produce.

He went 13 of 15 from the free-throw line, finished with 23 points and his late layup put Chicago on the verge of a first-round sweep. Game 4 will be played Saturday afternoon in Indy, against a Pacers team that seems as dismayed with its inability to close out Chicago as Rose was with Indiana's strategy.

"It's very frustrating," Pacers swingman Danny Granger said after missing a potential go-ahead 3-point attempt in the last 2 seconds. "To know we're so close in so many games, just a few more plays to win the game or send it to overtime. It's just too many mistakes, too many mental breakdowns."

It's not only Rose causing problems for the Pacers.

Kyle Korver continued his late-game mastery by scoring half of the Bulls' points in a 10-0 run that turned a 70-65 fourth-quarter deficit into a 75-70 lead with 7:04 to go. Korver finished with 12 points.

Luol Deng had 21 points, six assists and six rebounds -- his biggest coming after Granger missed the 3. Deng made the last two free throws to seal the victory. Joakim Noah had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Carlos Boozer had 11 rebounds in the kind of physical contest he prefers.

"It was right up my alley," Boozer said with a smile. "I love to get down and dirty."

That's exactly what the Bulls needed to get past eighth-seeded Indiana, which has not trailed by more than seven points in the series.

The Pacers were led by Granger with 21 points, Jones with 11 and Tyler Hansbrough's 10.

But their top priority was stopping Rose, who had scored 75 points in the first two games.

"I thought we did a great job on Rose," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "I had a lot of confidence that they would do a good job on him."

The problem was they didn't do nearly as good a job defending everyone else.

As Rose adapted to the Pacers' changing defenses and traps, his teammates swung the ball to find open shooters -- and defensively, the Bulls took a page right out of the Pacers' physical playbook.

It worked.

Indiana shot just 37.9 percent and was 1 of 10 from 3-point range -- not enough to beat the East's No. 1 seed even with an off-night from Rose.

"So what? I missed shots," Rose said. "My teammates were hitting them."

Indiana used an 8-0 second-quarter run to take its first lead but settled for a 42-42 halftime tie.

The Pacers led briefly again in the third quarter before making two free throws to close the third quarter and scoring the first six points of the fourth to build a 70-65 lead with 9:28 left.

That's when Rose and Korver took control.

"Kyle did come to me, and it's great when you have a teammate come to you as the point guard," Rose said. "We kept going to him because we knew (Darren) Collison would be on him and he has a great release, pretty high."

Collison also was playing with a sprained left ankle.

Korver took advantage by hitting a 3-pointer to make it 75-70 and another 3 to push it to 78-74 with 6:01 left.

But when the Bulls needed a late basket, they went right back to Rose, who found the crease he needed to put Indiana on the verge of elimination.

"The whole time, I was just thinking I'll go to the hole," Rose said. "It was tough the whole night the way they were playing, but at that time, I saw space and went for it."

NOTES: Former Pacers star Reggie Miller said he remembers the early 1990s when his team would host the Bulls at Market Square Arena and the crowd would be about 60 percent Bulls fans. He said that changed when the Pacers proved to be legitimate Eastern Conference contenders. ... Noting Chicago's history of traveling in large numbers, Vogel asked the fans to support the team, joking that metal detectors would keep Bulls fans out of the building. ... The game was a sellout, and Indiana had a clear advantage in crowd support. Indiana, which was last in the league in attendance during the regular season, had just six sellouts before Thursday's game. ... Rev. Jesse Jackson attended the game to support the Bulls. He stood along the baseline in pregame warmups, and even chatted with Rose for a few moments.

source: foxnews

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Rose scores 36 as Bulls top Pacers 96-90 in Game 2

CHICAGO – Two playoff games, two dramatic victories for the favored Chicago Bulls, and all is right in Carlos Boozer's eyes.

Derrick Rose scored 36 points, Boozer added 17 points and 16 rebounds, and top-seeded Chicago escaped with another comeback victory over Indiana, beating the Pacers 96-90 on Monday night in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.

"Every game will be tough," Boozer said. "There's not going to be any easy games in this playoffs in any series. So we look forward to some more tough games. We're built for that. We've had close games all season, and we don't expect any easy games."

Rose went wild again, scoring eight points over the final 4 minutes. Kyle Korver, who made a tiebreaking 3-pointer in Chicago's opening 104-99 victory Saturday, connected from long range to make it 90-85 with just over a minute left.

The Pacers still wouldn't go away.

A.J. Price drew a foul on Rose and hit three free throws to get Indiana within two with 23.4 seconds remaining. But Luol Deng made two free throws, Mike Dunleavy missed a 3-point attempt at the other end and Ronnie Brewer hit two foul shots to help the Bulls hold on.

Chicago made its last 16 free throws to finish 27 for 34.

"Our play has to get better," said Rose, who powered the Bulls to an NBA-best 62-20 record in the regular season. "We have to be more smooth, more efficient, especially on the defensive end where we have to try a lot harder. But I feel like we're going to get things together pretty quickly."

The Pacers were right there even though they lost Darren Collison to a sprained left ankle late in the first half. Collison said X-rays were negative but he isn't sure if he will be available for Thursday night's Game 3 at Conseco Fieldhouse.

"Right now, it's just real sore and swelled up pretty bad," he said.

Indiana threw a few more looks at Rose but still couldn't corral the dynamic point guard, who also had eight rebounds and six assists — and six of Chicago's 22 turnovers.

"We did a great job on him all night," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "He's a great player. He made key plays down the stretch to win a game for them."

Rose, likely headed for his first NBA MVP award, scored 39 points in Game 1, when Chicago closed with a 16-1 run to avoid the upset. He didn't get to the line quite as much this time but made the most of his opportunities, hitting 12 of 13 free throws after making 19 of 21 in the opener.

"I feel like this was the sequel to the Derrick Rose show," Indiana forward Danny Granger said. "It really just happened all over again."

Boozer came up big after a quiet Game 1 to help the Bulls dominate the boards (57-33) and come away with the win despite shooting 38.6 percent and a rash of turnovers.

Granger led Indiana with 19 points, but Tyler Hansbrough struggled, finishing with just six points on 2-of-12 shooting after scoring 22 points in the opener.

"We feel like we've outplayed them for most of the series," Price said.

Indiana's T.J. Ford provided the shot of the game when he banked in a 55-foot heave at the third-quarter buzzer to tie it at 67, sending loud oohs and aahs through the arena.

But the Bulls let out a big sigh of relief in the end. They realize there's plenty of room for improvement, but they're still in control.

For that, they can thank Rose.

"He made big play after big play," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "He kept attacking the basket. They put a lot of pressure on him. He made the right play. He made the right decisions."

NOTES: Bulls G Ronnie Brewer said he doesn't expect his sprained left thumb to heal until after the season and will likely play with pain the rest of the way. "It's not like it's just going to heal after a day or two," he said. "We practice every day. It's not like I'm sitting out or taking plays off." ... Former Bull Cliff Levingston presented the game ball before the opening tip. ... Fans cheered Bears coach Lovie Smith when he was shown during a timeout late in the first quarter. ... The Pacers have not won a playoff game since Game 3 of their first-round series with New Jersey in 2006. They dropped the next three games to bow out in six and did not get back to the postseason until this year. ... Price finished with 13 points.

 

source: AP/foxnews

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Rose, Bulls rally past Pacers 104-99 in opener

CHICAGO – Never mind what everyone else was thinking, Derrick Rose insisted he didn't expect the Chicago Bulls to roll over the Indiana Pacers.

They certainly didn't in Game 1.

Rose scored 39 points and found Kyle Korver for a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 48 seconds left, helping top-seeded Chicago stage a late rally to beat the Pacers 104-99 in their playoff opener on Saturday.

"We knew it was going to be a hard game," Rose said. "From the beginning I guess we weren't prepared for it. Next time I think we'll be ready."

For the Pacers, the loss was tough to accept. They controlled most of the game, but couldn't put it away.

They'd make little runs, Chicago would come back, and the Pacers would pull ahead again. With Rose staring at them, Danny Granger never felt safe.

"With Derrick Rose on the other team? No," Granger said. "With Derrick Rose on the other team, no. It's like a crazy stalker ex-girlfriend. Everytime you tell her you don't want to talk to her, she'll show up at your door again."

Trailing 98-88 in the final period, the Bulls showed the resolve that carried them to a league-best 62-20 record, closing with a 16-1 run over the final 3:38.

Rose scored seven during the impressive finish, including a three-point play and a floater that tied it at 99 with 1:27 left. He then hit Korver with a cross-court pass for a 3 that gave the Bulls their first lead at 102-99.

Danny Granger then missed a 3 and Joakim Noah got the rebound. Rose eventually hit two free throws with 14.8 seconds remaining.

Game 2 in this best-of-7 series is Monday night at the United Center.

Rose again showed why he is an MVP favorite even though he was off target. He missed each of his nine 3-point attempts but made 19 of 21 at the foul line and finished with six rebounds and six assists.

Luol Deng added 18 points and Korver finished with 13, no shot bigger than that 3.

Rose said an open 3 is "like a layup" for Korver, who credited the dynamic point guard for finding him.

"Derrick made a great read," Korver said. "If my man helps, he's going to kick it out to me. If he doesn't help, he's going to drive into the lane. That's why it's set up that way."

Granger led Indiana with 24 points, and Tyler Hansbrough shook off an elbow from Kurt Thomas to finish with 22. Darren Collison scored 17, but had just two in the second half, and the Pacers came up just short in their first playoff game in five years.

Even so, they gave the Bulls all they could handle.

With the Pacers leading by 10, Deng hit two free throws with 3:28 remaining to start the comeback. Noah followed with a tip-in and dunk to make it a four-point game, and the Bulls were on their way.

Exactly how far they'll go remains to be seen, but they're certainly aiming high after securing home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. They won nine straight and 21 of 23 down the stretch, and anything less than a big run would be a big disappointment.

Meanwhile, the Pacers will try to shake this one off and figure out how a game that looked so promising ended in defeat.

"We put forth a good effort, but who cares?" Granger said. "It's 0-1."

The Pacers were concerned late in the third quarter when Hansbrough was elbowed by Thomas as he was trying to rebound a miss by Rose. Hansbrough stayed down for several minutes and, still woozy, had to take a seat in the tunnel.

He eventually walked to the locker room on his own power. He returned with 5:33 remaining, and it looked as if he might lead the Pacers to a win.

Instead, the Bulls came surging back, erasing that deficit after Hansbrough hit back-to-back jumpers and converted a three-point play to make it 98-88. Now, they can breathe a little easier after a hard, physical game.

"Right now I'm feeling good and can't wait to go eat," Rose said.

For Indiana?

"This one hurts real bad," Roy Hibbert said.

NOTES: Chicago held a 49-34 rebounding advantage. ... The Bulls went 53-12 after a 9-8 start. ... Former Bulls assistant Johnny Bach presented the game ball before the opening tip.

source: AP/foxnews

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Bulls trample Celtics in home race

(Reuters) - The Chicago Bulls beat the Boston Celtics 97-81 on Thursday to open a four-game lead at the top of the Eastern Conference and move to within one victory of clinching home-court advantage throughout the NBA playoffs.

Chicago (58-20), winners of 17 of their last 19 games, closed out the third quarter with an 11-4 run to pull away from the Celtics (54-24).

"This meant a lot because you're going against a team you could see in the playoffs," Bulls guard Derrick Rose told reporters after scoring a game-high 30 points.

"You don't want those teams to have confidence. We were aggressive. That's the way it's going to be. We're a tough team. We grind wins out."

The Bulls allowed the Celtics just four field goals in the fourth quarter and, with just four games remaining, Chicago look like genuine title contenders.

"I just thought they were far more physical, tougher, more prepared, which is on me," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "I thought Thibs (Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau) did a better job.

"I thought (Carlos) Boozer did a better job, I thought Derrick Rose did a better job. I just thought overall they just competed far better than us tonight."

MVP candidate Rose added eight assists for the Bulls and Luol Deng scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half.

The Celtics were led by Paul Pierce with 15 points while Kevin Garnett scored 10 and Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen were limited to seven each.

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Rose, Korver lead Bulls to rout of Kings

CHICAGO (AP) – Derrick Rose and Kyle Korver scored 18 points apiece as the Chicago Bulls routed the Sacramento Kings 132-92 on Monday night.

The win gave the Bulls (50-19) their first 50-win season since 1997-98 and allowed Chicago to remain tied with Boston atop the Eastern Conference. The Celtics beat the New York Knicks on Monday.

Carlos Boozer scored 16 points in his return to the Bulls' lineup after missing five games with a sprained left ankle. He joined a balanced Bulls attack that had eight players scoring in double figures in a game that was not close after the first period.

Marcus Thornton led the Kings with 25 points.

With the game well in hand, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was able to rest his top players. Rose played just 28 minutes, his lowest total of the season. He didn't play in the fourth quarter.

The Bulls shot 61.3 percent from the field. More aggressive from the outset, Chicago forced 22 Sacramento turnovers and held a 36-7 edge in fastbreak points. The Bulls' points total were a season high.

The Bulls have won 13 straight at the United Center, their longest home winning streak since 1997-98. At 31-4, the Bulls have the NBA's second-best home record behind San Antonio (32-3).

Chicago led by as many as 25 in the third period, reaching that advantage when Keith Bogans lobbed a pass toward the rim on a fastbreak and Rose flew in from the baseline and dunked it with both hands.

C.J. Watson's steal and alley-oop pass for Ronnie Brewer's dunk highlighted a 9-2 Bulls run, that pushed the lead to 13 early in the second quarter.

Chicago pushed the lead to 19 points on a pair of 3-pointers by Korver late in the first half and led 64-47 at the break.

The Bulls shot 66.7 percent in the first half. Thornton scored 18 points for the Kings in the half.

Sacramento, which entered the game averaging more turnovers (16.1) than all but two NBA teams, had 12 miscues in the first 18 minutes, leading to 19 Chicago points.

Boozer was aggressive early, taking four shots in the game's first four minutes. He had six points, two rebounds and three assists in the opening quarter.

The Bulls led 34-28 after one quarter. Bogans, who entered averaging 4.0 points, scored seven in the first 12 minutes, matching Rose for the team high.

Rose's double-pump, reverse dunk on a breakaway gave the Bulls a six-point first-quarter lead and ignited the crowd at United Center.

Thornton led the Kings with nine points in the opening period.

Notes: Chicago mascot "Benny the Bull" celebrated his birthday. He was joined by mascots flown in from other teams as party of a halftime party. ... The win might have helped the Bulls overcome the painful memory of Sacramento's last visit to Chicago. On Dec. 21, 2009, the Kings erased a 35-point third quarter deficit and beat Chicago 102-98. It was the NBA's biggest comeback in over 13 years. ... The 1997-98 Bulls won their 50th game on March 20, one day before this year's Bulls reached that mark. ... Thornton has scored 20 or more points in nine of Sacramento's last 12 games. ... This is the 14th time in franchise history that the Bulls have won 50 or more games. ... The Bulls improved to 38-2 when holding teams under 95 points or less this season

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Rose, Deng power Bulls past Nets

NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) – Derrick Rose scored 21 points and Britain's Luol Deng added 19 to spark the Chicago Bulls over New Jersey 84-73, putting the Bulls on top of the NBA's Eastern Conference.

The Bulls on Thursday stretched their win streak to six games, their longest triumphant run in six seasons, while the Nets saw a five-game win streak, their longest in five years, come to an end in what was their lowest-scoring game of the season.

"We've got a great team," Deng said. "We've got guys who come off the bench and do a good job of carrying us. We just have to keep on playing. We know we still have a long way to go."

Chicago improved to 49-18, breaking their tie with Boston for the top mark in the East in the fight for a home-court edge in the playoffs.

"We just want to take it step by step," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.

"If we do the right things every day, the results will take care of themselves."

New Jersey fell to 22-44, six games behind Indiana for the last playoff spot in the East.

Kyle Korver added 12 points while rookie Omer Asik added 11 points and 16 rebounds for the Bulls, who led 43-36 at half-time and 60-50 after three quarters before the Nets pulled even three times in the fourth quarter, the last on two Korver free throws with 4:06 to play.

Deng and Rose answered with baskets and the Nets never pulled even again. Deng scored 10 points in the first half while Rose had eight of his in the third quarter and Korver scored seven of his in the fourth quarter.

The Nets as a team shot only 35 percent from the field (29-of-83) and connected on only 3-of-19 3-point attempts against the NBA's second-ranked defensive unit.

"That's what we've been doing the whole year, playing defense," Rose said. "If our offense isn't going, and that rarely happens, we rely on our defense.

"At first, they were getting everything they wanted. Then we just closed down the paint and rebounded the ball."

Brook Lopez led the Nets with 22 points while Sasha Vujacic and Kris Humphries each scored 13 points. Humphries added 16 rebounds while Deron Williams passed around 11 assists but shot only 1-of-12 for just five points.

"We could have played a lot better and shot a lot better, but they are a good defensive team," Williams said. "That's what they pride themselves on."

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