With Derrick Rose in the starting lineup after sitting out the entire second half of Monday night's 108-87 rout of the New Jersey Nets, the Chicago Bulls rolled to a 90-67 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night at New Orleans Arena. The Bulls, who have won four straight games, improved to 22-6 this season and 5-2 on their season-long, nine-game road trip.
The Bulls placed four players in double figures against a Hornets team that dropped to 4-22. Carlos Boozer scored a team-high 18 points to go along with six rebounds in 28 minutes of action, while Joakim Noah put up a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds. Taj Gibson dropped a 14 points and six rebounds and had a pair of emphatic dunks -- including a thunderous, two-handed slam in the second quarter reminiscent to the one he put down last spring in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Kyle Korver continued his hot shooting, pouring in 12 points on two three-pointers.
Similar to the last the last two contests, the Bulls put their foot on the gas pedal from the outset and built a large cushion they would not relinquish, leading 21-8 over nine minutes into the game and 23-14 after the first quarter. They were up 44-31 at halftime and continued to increase their lead and put the clamps down defensively in the second half, when coach Tom Thibodeau's bunch outscored the Hornets 46-36. The Hornets' only bright spot of the night came in the first quarter, when Chris Kaman scored the team's final 10 points. The seven-footer, who has been the subject of trade rumors over the past couple weeks, ended up with a team-high 17 points and nine rebounds.
The Bulls shot 45.9 percent from the field, piled up 29 assists on 39 baskets, racked up 58 points in the paint to the Hornets' 40 and dominated the glass, outrebounding the home team 49-39. Once again, the Bulls completely exposed a bottom feeder and never let up.
Although Rose told reporters earlier in the day that his back was feeling much better, the 6-foot-3 star had just six points and six assists in 22 minutes, a season-low in a game that he doesn't leave due to injury. He vowed after Monday's game that he would play though his lower back spasms against the Hornets, and that's exactly what happened following a couple days of treatment. The reigning NBA MVP didn't have the type of explosive outing that Bulls fans are accustomed to watching -- but he simply didn't have to against New Orleans. He will never take a night off, but the 23-year-old is obviously a smart player and understands he must pace himself.
Next up, the Bulls have a day off Thursday before facing the Charlotte Bobcats (3-22) on Friday night at Time Warner Cable Arena. The Michael Jordan-owned Bobcats have lost 12 games in a row.
Filed under: Game Reaction
Tags: Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls, Chris Kaman, Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, New Orleans Hornets, Taj Gibson, Tom Thibodeau
