O'Neal had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Tinsley contributed 18 and 10 assists as the Pacers extended their winning streak over the Bulls to seven games with an easy 98-83 victory.
O'Neal posted his sixth double-double in the last seven games. The 23-year-old forward netted 10 points in the opening quarter as Indiana jumped out to a 30-20 lead before cruising to its 13th win in the last 14 meetings with its Central Division rival.
 Jalen Rose and the Pacers get no hassle from the Bulls. Ron Hoskins NBAE/Getty Images |
Tinsley, the NBA's Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for November, recorded his second straight double-double and team-leading 10th of the season helped the Pacers win for the fourth time in their last five games.
Marcus Fizer scored a season-high 19 points for the Bulls, who have dropped 13 of their last 15 contests.
Fizer started for veteran forward Charles Oakley, who had been critical of Bulls coach Tim Floyd earlier this season and was not in the starting lineup for the first time. Oakley had two points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes.
"We are young off the bench and not very good defensively when we go to the bench," Floyd said. "Bringing Charles off the bench helped that situation tonight."
"It doesn't hurt (not to start). We made a move and we got a lot out of it," Oakley said. "Marcus scored a lot of points tonight, but I think this is the first time that I haven't started since my rookie year."
Chicago is 0-11 on the road this season.
O'Neal registered double-digit boards for the eighth straight game. That helped Indiana dominate off the glass, posting a 46-31 margin that translated to a 16-4 edge in second-chance points. Chicago pulled down just seven offensive rebounds, including two in the opening half.
The Pacers trailed by two in the opening quarter when Tinsley's 17-foot jumper sparked their 15-4 run. Jalen Rose capped it by converting a 3-pointer as Indiana grabbed a 22-11 lead with 4:25 left in the period.
"We were playing against a team that we knew that we should (beat), and we went out and got it done," Pacers forward Jalen Rose said. "The bottom line is a win in the `W' column."
Tinsley, who played 40 minutes, likely will continue to get most of the playing time at point guard. Travis Best, who has taken the court just twice since November 16, did not play due to a lower back strain.
Rose, Reggie Miller and Al Harrington added 15 points apiece for the Pacers, who shot just over 51 percent (40-of-78). Indiana has won all six contests this season when shooting better than 50 percent from the floor.
"Offensively, balance is our most important weapon because you're developing so many assets to use," Pacers coach Isiah Thomas said. "Right now, I don't see us settling into a team where one or two guys score all the points."
Miller went 3-for-5 from 3-point range. The most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history kept his current streak alive, hitting at least once from beyond the arc for the 32nd straight game.
Fred Hoiberg's basket early in the second quarter pulled the Bulls within six. But the Pacers reeled off eight of the next 10 points and took a 50-38 lead into the locker room.
Chicago failed to reduce its deficit to less than nine after the interval.
Floyd has a 48-134 record in three-plus season, the worst in NBA history. Along with the losing this season, Floyd has had to deal with multiple cases of player unrest.
Playing his 17th NBA season, Oakley was fined a whopping $50,000 last month for comments detrimental to the team.
"He can do that. He's the coach," Oakley said of Floyd's decision to bring him off the bench. "He did it and I have to live with it. I just want to go out and help the team play with a lot of energy."