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NBA Playoffs: Round Two Recap: Bulls 99, Hawks 82; Chi Leads Series 2-1

The Chicago Bulls came prepared in their 99-82 win over the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena Friday night. MVP Derrick Rose scored a career-high 44 points to helps the Bulls take a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference. That included 16-27 on the floor and four-for-seven from downtown. He dished out seven assists and grabbed five boards.

With 3:20 remaining in the first quarter, Rose crossed over Jeff Teague and drove past every defender to finish strong at the basket, giving the Bulls a 26-18 lead. Rose scored 17 of his 44 points in that first quarter.

“Derrick was in attack mode, obviously. He was attacking from the start. When he’s attacking, and not dancing with the ball, he’s impossible to stop. He caught it on the run and kept going…he wasn’t playing around or letting them catch up.” – Bulls’ Head Coach Tom Thibodeau on Rose’s game tempo

Joakim Noah added 15 rebounds (eight offensive) and five blocks and Taj Gibson came off the bench with 13 points, 11 rebounds (seven offensive) and two blocks.

The Bench Mob really stepped up in game three by out-scoring the Hawks bench 34-14 (21-6 in the first half). CJ Watson, Ronnie Brewer, Gibson, Kyle Korver and Omer Asik worked to go on a 13-6 run in the second quarter, stretching the Bulls lead 42-29 with 6:58 remaining in the half. Korver added 11 points off the bench, and had a better shooting night then he did in game two, three-for-four from behind the arc.

The Bulls dominating the glass played a big part in tonight’s win, they out-rebounded the Hawks 47-34, including 18-9 offensively.

Teague, starting in place of injured teammate Kirk Hinrich, clocked in 41 minutes and scored 21 points, 8-13. Josh Smith scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Jamal Crawford was almost non-existent, scoring seven points in 28 minutes.

Chicago shot 46.8% on the floor and 50% from downtown (10-20), while holding Atlanta to 47.1% on the floor and 16.7% behind the arc (one-for-six). Both teams turned the ball over 12 times.

If the Bulls keep hustling, playing aggressive on defense, while being patient on shot selection and just be athletic going to the rim in future games, they will be unstoppaBULL.

Bulls Extras: Game four will be in Atlanta on Sunday night at 7pm…The Bulls played 48 minutes of intensity, they led this whole game from start to finish…

NBA Playoffs: Round Two Recap: Bulls 86, Hawks 73; Chi Ties Series 1-1

The Chicago Bulls showed signs of life on Wednesday night when they hosted the Atlanta Hawks for game two of the second round.

Tonight was also the night NBA Commissioner David Stern and Derrick Rose presented the MVP trophy to the United Center.

In game one, the Bulls let the Hawks shoot 51% on the floor. Tonight, the Hawks shot 34% on the floor and 23% from downtown. The Bulls shot 39% on the floor in their first win of the series, 86-73.

Our MVP put up 25 points on a not-so-great shooting night (he went 10-for-27 on the floor) while turning the ball over eight times. Rose is a fighter; he had turned his left ankle again in the final seconds of game one and still entered the gym like any other day.

It could also be because Kirk Hinrich fill-in Jeff Teague played about 40 minutes of ‘Keep up with Rose,’ while scoring 21 points (seven-for-14 on the floor). Teague has held Rose to 21-54 shots on the floor in the series so far. Teague only played nine minutes total in the previous series.

“Shots I normally hit, they weren’t falling tonight. But the way they are playing me, I’m going to keep shooting.” – Rose on his shooting this series

Rose isn’t the only one playing hurt. Carlos Boozer’s game has suffered because of a turf toe injury but still managed to grab 11 boards and score eight points, he only had one turnover tonight.

However, the fans at the UC turned some boos toward Boozy’s way.

Teammate Joakim Noah remembers being in that same situation not too long ago and stuck up for his friend.

“Sometimes our home crowd, it’s a tough place to play, we have a lot of love for our crowd, but through tough times, we got to stick together.” – Noah

Noah scored 19 points (six-for-eight shooting), grabbed 14 rebounds (seven offensive), three steals and a block. Luol Deng scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

 

While the Bench Mob didn’t produce a lot of offense (14 points), they made a difference on the court, off the stat sheet. They played gritty defense and hustled for loose balls. Kyle Korver went zero-for-four behind the arc until he hit a key three-pointer at the 24-second buzzer to give the Bulls a 70-60 lead with 9:12 remaining (his only shot of the night).

One other thing that has made a big difference is the start the Bulls had this evening. They came out strong on offense, taking an early first quarter lead 25-19, including a 9-4 run giving them the 13-11 lead.

At the end of the first quarter, the Bulls shot 39% and forced the Hawks 0-3 from behind the arc.

The tempo of the game is really important, and by starting the game strong on offense, and playing aggressive on defense, the Bulls will find their comfort spot again. The Bulls as a team have stepped up on the boards alone: Noah 14, Boozer 11, Deng 12, Rose 6, Taj Gibson 5. By halftime, the Bulls out-rebounded the Hawks 29-19 and at the end of the game, 58-39.

Another factor was the defense. They definitely tamed Jamal Crawford, who scored 22 points in game one; he finished with 11 points (two-for-10 on the floor). Joe Johnson scored 16 points and Josh Smith was forced into early foul trouble, he went four-for-14 on the floor for 13 points and six rebounds. Al Horford grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out six assists.

Bulls Extras: The series is now tied at 1-1…The Bulls will head out to Atlanta for games three (Sunday) and four (Tuesday).

NBA Playoffs Round 2: Recap: Bulls 95, Hawks 103; Atl Leads Series 1-0

The Chicago Bulls started off the round two series against the Atlanta Hawks on the wrong foot Monday night after dropping a 103-95 decision.

The Bulls started off slow yet again. Derrick Rose started off 0-7 in the first quarter (two-for-10), he went nine-for-17 in the second half.

After the Bulls trailed by 11 in the first quarter, they came back and outscored the Hawks 32-23 in the second quarter ending the first half trailing by one, 51-50.

The Bulls continued their run and took their first lead of the game, the Hawks answered back with Joe Johnson scoring 11 points in the third and a pair of free throws from Zaza Pachulia giving the Hawks the slim lead and leeway the rest of the game.

The Bulls slow start was due to poor shot selection mainly. They need to be more patient on the offense and get going in the paint. The Bulls only made 13-16 free throws; Rose went 2-7 from the charity stripe.

Rose finished the night with 24 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and three turnovers. Luol Deng scored 21 points and six assists. Carlos Boozer started, regardless of a toe turf injury, and chipped in 14 points and eight rebounds. Joakim Noah scored 11 points and grabbed nine boards. The Bulls only shot 45% on the floor and 44% from behind the arc.

Meanwhile, the Hawks were without Kirk Hinrich, but shot 51% on the floor and 54% behind the arc and out-rebounded the Bulls 38-37.

Joe Johnson led all scorers with 34 points, including a five-of-five from the 3-point line. Jeff Teague, in place of Hinrich, scored 10 points and dished out five assists. Jamal Crawford came off the bench with 22 points. Al Horford grabbed 13 rebounds. The Hawks bench outscored the Bulls Bench Mob 37-22.

The Bulls will have another shot at the United Center on Wednesday night.

Bulls Extras: It was announced during halftime that an ESPN source stated Derrick Rose to be the NBA MVP (officially)…Rose came off limping after he turned his left ankle (again), stepping on Crawford’s foot in the final seconds…Hawks went on a 12-5 run to regain the lead in the third…Bulls shot only 29% in the first quarter.

NBA Playoffs Round One: Recap: Bulls 116, Pacers 89; Chi Off To Round Two

The Chicago Bulls have beaten the Indian Pacers to close out round one of the NBA Playoffs and they can thank Pacers head coach Frank Vogel for his comments Tuesday morning.

Even though the Bulls led the series at 3-1, they weren’t playing their best basketball and could’ve easily been down 3-1 in the series.

Game 5 presented us the Bulls team we witnessed in the regular season; an intense, hard-nosed, defensive-minded, united team.

Vogel stated:

                “We feel like if we win tonight, we’ll win this series.”

Those words awakened the Bulls in Game 5, blowing out the Pacers 116-89. The Bulls won their first series since 2007.

Derrick Rose, who suffered a left ankle sprain in Game 4, went through treatments and sucked it up to start the game. Rose put up 25 points and six assists. Keith Bogans went five-for-seven from downtown, scoring 15 points. The Bulls shot 45% behind the arc (14-31).

The Bulls started this game with a lot of energy and a well-established offense, something they’ve lacked in this series. Within the first 10 seconds after the Bulls won the tip, Luol Deng found Bogans for a three to start a 14-2 run in the first three minutes. Deng finished with 24 points, six rebounds, seven assists and three steals.

Danny Granger led the Pacers with 20 points and six rebounds. Tyler Hansbrough chipped in 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The Bulls played a lot more physical in Game 5, which resulted in four players in foul trouble early on. Chicago’s hard-nosed play also resulted in a Pacers public display of frustration. Pacers’ forward Josh McRoberts and Bulls center Joakim Noah were getting physical inside the paint. This included McRoberts showing his frustration by elbowing and shoving Noah, collecting two type two flagrant fouls which got him tossed out of the game.

After trailing 82-65, the Pacers showed their frustration

The Bulls defense forced the Pacers to 21 turnovers, while they only had 14 and held them to 39% shooting on the floor.

In attendance tonight were Joakim Noah’s grandfather and sister, his game was definitely loud due to family presence. He scored 14 points, grabbed eight boards, dished out three assists and blocked four shots.

The Bulls Bench Mob, almost non-existent in the series, out-scored the Pacers bench 36-30. Korver scored 13 points, CJ Watson dished out seven assists, six in the fourth quarter. Taj Gibson added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Carlos Boozer continued struggling in this series, talling two points and five rebounds. He was benched with 6:17 remaining in the third and did not return. Boozer mentioned that he felt his right big toe pop early in the second quarter. No results returned on his condition yet.

Bulls Extras: Whoever wins the series between the Orlando Magic-Atlanta Hawks will face the Chicago Bulls in the second round…The Bulls out-scored the Pacers in the third quarter 30-19…Dish alert: Bulls posted 27 assists on the night while Indiana only had 14.

NBA Playoffs: Bulls Recap: Bulls 89, Pacers 84; Chicago Lead Series 3-1

The turnovers and below-average shooting was bound to catch up with the Chicago Bulls in the first round playoff vs. the Indiana Pacers. On Saturday afternoon, it did as the Bulls dropped Game 4 to the Pacers 89-84.

Derrick Rose scored seven of his 15 points in the first quarter before turning his left ankle on a driving layup with 1:14 remaining. He would return, but went 3-16 on the floor. He also tallied 10 assists, four steals and three turnovers.

The Bulls rallied back in the fourth quarter. The Bulls trailed by 16 points, 82-66, with 5:05 left in regulation. However, the Bulls went on a 10-0 run, including a steal-turned-into-dunk by Rose, bringing it within three, 84-81 with 38.9 seconds left. Joakim Noah converted a three-point play; the Bulls were within one with 15 seconds, giving them a chance to win with plenty of time on the clock.

The Bulls called a timeout; probably drawing up a play with Kyle Korver involved, tying the game up. Luol Deng couldn’t find Korver open, so went with the option of Carlos Boozer for the baseline three and the tie. But it rimmed out.

The Bulls shot 37.8% on the floor and went 3-20 behind the arc. The Pacers shot 39.2% on the floor and went 5-16 behind the arc.

Noah led the way for the Bulls with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Despite having four turnovers, Boozer scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Korver scored nine points, seven in the fourth off the bench and Deng chipped in 16 points.

Danny Granger had 24 points and 10 rebounds, including four free throws in the final seconds to secure the Pacers’ first win in this series. Roy Hibbert scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Pacers bench outscored the Bulls bench 30-17.

The Bulls will have some time off until Game 5, more than enough time to recuperate and re-evaluate the series. The Bulls need to step up on the offense, especially with turnover issue. The Bench Mob has been almost non-existent; this series the Bulls Bench has been out-scored 128-84.

Bulls Extras: Game 5 will be Tuesday night at the United Center…The Bulls lead the series 3-1…Indiana out-scored the Bulls in the second quarter 26-14…Derrick Rose is scheduled for an MRI, but is expected to play.

2011 NBA Playoffs: Recap: Bulls 88, Pacers 84; Chicago Leads Series 3-0

“If you fall down, get up and go even harder…” should be the motto of All-Star and MVP candidate Derrick Rose, at least in the series vs. the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Playoffs.

Rose only shot 4-18 on the floor; however, he hit 13-15 free throws for 23 points, four steals and five turnovers. Rose knows that if the jumper isn’t there, drive to the line like the Ferrari he is known to be. And he also has teammates that can put up a solid game, Deng scoring 14 of his 21 points in the first half.

                “So what? I missed shots, my teammates were hitting them.” -Rose

In this series, the Chicago Bulls have taken a 3-0 lead with Thursday’s 88-84 win, but none of that has come easy. In these three games, Rose has taken hard hits driving the lane, some involving elbows and body slams, and some involving no fouls being called, but Rose has made the Pacers pay, going 44-49 from the free throw line alone.

This series has shown most intensity in the fourth quarter, because even though the Bulls have trailed or lost the lead at one point, they have managed to comeback to win it all. At the start of the fourth, the Bulls trailed 70-65 with 9:29 remaining, until Noah split a pair of free throws, and Korver sparking a 10-0 run, hitting a jumper to bring the Bulls back within two. Rose then hit four from the charity stripe. Boozer stole a bad pass from Darren Collison, which led Rose to find Korver for a three-pointer over Collison for the 75-70 lead with 7:04 remaining.

Korver contributed 12 points off the bench, 10 of them came in the fourth quarter. Noah went three-for-six on the floor with 11 points, 10 rebound and four blocks. Boozer grabbed 11 rebounds and Deng had six rebounds and six assists in 45 minutes with his 21. Keith Bogans went three-for-four from behind the arc for nine points.

Darren Collison returned to the Pacers lineup after leaving midway through Game 2 with a sprained left ankle and scored nine points in 34 minutes and turned the ball over four times. Danny Granger led the way for the Pacers with 21 points, but missed a potential game-winning three with 2.9 seconds. Tyler Hansbrough was held to 10 points and five rebounds. Dahntay Jones scored 11 points off the bench.

This is the first game that the Bulls managed a higher shooting percentage both on the floor and from downtown. The shot 38.9% to Indiana’s 37.9% on the floor and went an even 45% (9-20) from the three. Indiana only went one-for-ten behind the arc at 10%. The Bulls shared the ball and made the extra pass, dishing out 20 assists.

Bulls Extras: The Bulls captured their first ever playoffs win at Conseco Fieldhouse and will try to go for the sweep on Saturday afternoon at 1:30 pm…

NBA Playoffs, Round 1: Recap: Bulls 96, Pacers 90; Bulls Lead Series 2-0

It was almost a case of déjà vu, with some differences, as the Chicago Bulls beat the Indiana Pacers, 96-90, taking a 2-0 series lead in Game 2 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

For instances, the Bulls didn’t wait until the 1:27 mark of the fourth quarter to have their first lead, and Carlos Boozer had a much more solid game.

The Bulls aren’t exceeding our expectations either. They have been turning the ball over more frequent, 37 in the series so far. Coach Thibs can’t be too happy about that:

“They are defending well, and we are holding onto the ball. It is usually a result of too much one-one-one (play), risky passes. Those are two major reasons for turnovers. We have to clean it up.” – Bulls Head Coach Tom Thibodeau

Speaking of on-one-one games, the Bulls haven’t been making those extra passes, dishing out only 33 assists in these two games to Indiana’s 43.

The Bulls big men, Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer, did make up for that on the boards, they out-rebounded the Pacers 57-33, including 20 offensive boards (six from Noah, five from Boozer). Boozer added 17 points to his 16 rebounds.

After going 0-9 from downtown, Derrick Rose went two-for-five, scoring 36 points, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out six assists, but he was forced into six turnovers. He also went 12-13 from the free throw line.

The dagger of the game came from a clutch three by sharp-shooter, Kyle Korver. Noah drove into the lane and kicked it out to Korver on the corner wing giving the Bulls a 90-85 lead with 1:04 remaining in regulation. Korver finished with five of the Bench Mob’s 22 points. Noah finished with 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and four turnovers.

Luol Deng chipped in 14 points and six rebounds. CJ Watson led the Bench Mob with seven points (three-for-six shooting).

The Bulls managed to go 27-34 from the charity stripe, hitting the final 16 in a row.

The Pacers kept up with the Bulls for two games but couldn’t manage a win.

Danny Granger led the way for the Pacers with 19 points. Meanwhile, Tyler Hansbrough (coming off a 22 point performance) was held to just six points. A.J. Price chipped in 13 points off the bench. T.J. Ford did tie the game at 67 when he banked a half court shot at the buzzer at the end of the third and a jump shot to take a two-point lead at the start of the fourth, 69-67.

Once the see-saw game faded, Rose’s three-point play gave the Bulls a lead and a run with 5:16 remaining and went on for the win.

The Bulls will be visiting Indiana for games three and four Thursday and Saturday.

Bulls Extras: The Bulls only shot 39% on the floor, Indiana shot 42%…Rose scored 13 of his 36 points in the first half…Kurt Thomas scored four points (three-for-six on the floor) in 10 minutes…Jeff Foster scored nine points for the Pacers off the bench, their bench out-scored the Bulls Bench Mob 43-22.

Round 1 Playoffs Recap: Bulls 104, Pacers 99; Chi lead series 1-0

Saturday afternoon, the Chicago Bulls hosted the Indiana Pacers for NBA Playoff action. In the words of late-Bull Norm “Stormin’ Norman” Van Lier, “It takes 48 minutes of intensity to win a game!” On this afternoon however, it took about 4:52, all the fourth quarter, to win 104-99 and lead the series 1-0.

With 4:52 remaining in regulation, Derrick Rose was fouled hard Tyler Hansbrough as he was driving the lane, by hard, I mean, forearm to the face, missing the ball almost completely. Teammate Luol Deng wouldn’t have any of it. He had some words for Hansbrough and got called for a technical foul. After Darren Collison missed the tech, Deng motioned to the 22,956 fans at the United Center to get louder. Deng played 41 minutes and chipped in 18 points and 10 rebounds.

About 3:28 left, Bulls down by 10, Deng was fouled by Hansbrough driving in for the layup and two free throws, Bulls trailing 98-90. Joakim Noah then rebounded his own miss and tipped in the shot, he finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds (eight offensive) and three blocks. After a defensive stop by the Bulls, Rose found Noah wide open on the other end of the court for a dunk, bringing the Bulls withing four with 2:27 remaining.

Rose scored five straight points, including a jumper tying the game at 99 with 1:27 left. Kyle Korver then blocked Collison’s layup, Rose rebounded and as he drove in, forcing the defense to commit to him, he kicked it out to a wide open Korver for three, giving the Bulls their first lead of the game at 102-99 with 48.4 seconds left.

Rose led the way with 39 points, 10-23 on the floor, 0-9 behind the arc, and 19-21 at the free throw line, along with six, rebounds six assists and three blocks. Korver went four-for-four behind the arc with 13 points and three assists in 21 minutes.

Carlos Boozer suffered, as he couldn’t contain Hansbrough who finished with 22 points on a 10-for-19 shooting. Boozer had 12 points and six rebounds along with five fouls and four turnovers in 26 minutes.

The Pacers looked as if they were going to take this game, playing about 44 hard minutes. Danny Granger scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half, 10-for-20 on the floor including four-for-eight from downtown, and 6 rebounds. Collison went two-for-two behind the three point line, tallied 17 points, nine assists and six rebounds. The Pacers shot 46.4% on the floor and 55.6% from downtown (10-18).

The Bulls out-rebounded the Pacers 49-34, shot 43.9% on the floor, and went 26-32 at the free throw line; however they were forced into 15 turnovers. It wasn’t a pretty win, but the Bulls will look to turn their four-to-five minutes of intensity to 48 on Monday night.

Bulls Extras: Luol Deng celebrated his 26th birthday today with a win…Bulls host the Pacers for Game 2 at the United Center Monday night at 8:30 pm…Bulls Bench Mob outscored the Pacers bench 25-23…Kurt Thomas clocked in 24 minutes and went three-for-four, for six points and four rebounds.

Recap: Bulls 97, Nets 92; Bulls Clinch No. 1 Overall Record and Playoff Schedule Posted

For the first time since 1957, the NBA scheduled every team to play the final game of the season on the same night. For the Chicago Bulls, a win along with a San Antonio Spurs loss would give the Bulls the number one record in the NBA. Something the Bulls haven’t accomplished since the Jordan Era.

The Phoenix Suns hosted the San Antonio Spurs and ended their season with a 106-103 win, giving the Bulls the overall best record, which means they will have home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Bulls hosted the New Jersey Nets at the United Center Wednesday night and went for the ninth straight win 97-92, finishing with a 62-20 record. The same record the Bulls had in 1997-1998, coincidence?

The Bulls shot 46% on the floor in the first half, and took a 50-43 lead. In the third quarter, the Bulls went 2-7, while the Nets went on an 11-0 run. Coach Thibodeau, infuriated, called a timeout. With 3:48 remaining in the quarter, the Bulls went on their own 11-0 run, starting with Luol Deng grabbing an offensive board and Kurt Thomas tipping in a layup. Then soon-to-be MVP, Derrick Rose scored six straight points, putting the Bulls back within two, 68-66. Rose finished with 15 points. Taj Gibson saved an offensive rebound to Deng who then dished to Kyle Korver for a baseline three pointer tying it up at 68 apiece.

The Bench Mob displayed an incredible performance; outscoring New Jersey’s bench 50-26, 20 of those 50 points came in the first half. Korver led the Mob and the team with 19 points, shooting 7-13 on the floor and two-for-seven from downtown. Rasual Butler wasn’t one to disappoint either; he chipped in 10 points for the Mob, four-for-five on the floor and two-for-three behind the arc. Meanwhile, Ronnie Brewer was inactive with a right thumb sprain from the previous night in New York,

Jordan Farmar led the way with 21 points and 12 assists and Brook Lopez scored 19 points, but was blocked six times, four by Joakim Noah.

Noah played tonight after an injury scare with his right ankle (that was already sprained) and posted a double-double, 10 points, 10 rebounds (seven offensive) and four blocks before banging knees against Lopez and sitting out with 5:29 remaining in the third. Gibson tallied nine points and eight rebounds off the bench. The Bulls moved the ball well, limited turnovers and out-rebounded the Nets 45-35 as they contained the league’s best post-All-Star Game record of 24-4.

Bulls Extras: The season is over, and the new season will begin: The Playoffs…

The Bulls schedule for Round One vs. the eight-seeded Indiana Pacers:

Game One: Saturday April 16 in Chicago at Noon

Game Two: Monday April 18 in Chicago at 8:30 pm

Game Three: Thursday April 21 in Indiana, Time TBD

Game Four: Saturday April 23 in Indiana, Time TBD

Game Five: Tuesday April 26, Time & Place TBD

Recap: Bulls 103, Knicks 90; Win No. 61

Every Chicago Bulls fan remembers the 120-112 defeat at the United Center without Carlos Boozer on November 4th and the 103-95 loss at the Garden on Christmas day without Joakim Noah. The Bulls weren’t ready to lose to the only team they haven’t defeated in the NBA yet. On Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, with Spike Lee, Scottie Pippen, and other ‘celebrities’ present, the Bulls played hard for their 61st win, 103-90.

Earlier this morning, news broke out that Derrick Rose was dealing with a head cold. When asked if Coach Thibodeau would limit his minutes, Rose responded with:

“If I ask him to limit my minutes, he’ll probably look at me and walk away anyway. But I’m fine; I’ve been playing with colds my whole life, especially coming from Chicago.”

Rose led the way with 26 points on a 10-for-19 shooting. Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah started tonight, both recovering from ankle injuries. Boozer had an incredible inside game, grabbing 22 rebounds and scoring 14 points. Before leaving the game with 8:09 remaining in regulation, Noah scored 13 points, going seven-of-seven from the free throw line. Noah got tangled up on Billy Walker’s foots, tweaking his right ankle.

Injuries do not stop there for the Bulls. Ronnie Brewer hustled for a loose ball before spraining his thumb. He left with about eight minutes remaining in the second quarter.

However, after trailing by three at halftime, 55-52, the Bulls opened the first seven minutes of the third quarter with a 26-4 run, leading 78-57. The Knicks came right back and made their own little run, bringing it in within seven, 91-84, with eight minutes left in regulation. Once CJ Watson set Rose up for a three pointer, 94-84, they were in cruise control. Watson chipped in nine points and two steals off the bench. Luol Deng scored 23 points and grabbed 10 boards in the Bulls’ eighth win in a row.

Carmelo Anthony scored 21 points in his first game against the Bulls in Knicks uniform. Bill Walker scored 18 off the bench, Toney Douglas chipped in 13 for the Knicks, who are 42-39 on the season.

Bulls Extras: Bulls final game will be at the United Center Wednesday night when they host the New Jersey Nets…Wednesday night will mark the first night since 1957 that every NBA team plays their final game of the season…Bulls outscored the Knicks in the third quarter 32-18…New York Knicks’ Amare Stoudemire was out for tonight’s game…Bulls outrebounded the Knicks 51-33…Bulls made 24-27 from the free throw line, Knicks only made 14-17…