Bulls-Timberwolves Preview

By MATT BECKER
Posted Jan 10 2012 12:55AM

After coming up with few stops in a lackluster performance over the weekend, the Chicago Bulls bounced back with one of their stronger defensive efforts.

The Bulls now try to make things tough for a Minnesota Timberwolves team coming off an embarrassing offensive showing and playing its third game in as many days Tuesday night at the Target Center.

Chicago (8-2) takes great pride in its defense, but couldn't be too proud of its performance in Saturday's 109-94 loss to Atlanta. The Bulls yielded 63 first-half points and fell behind by as many as 29, en route to allowing opponent season highs in scoring and field-goal percentage (56.6).

The Bulls quickly put that horrible showing behind them Monday, limiting Detroit to 39.4 percent shooting and forcing a season-high 19 turnovers in a 92-68 home victory.

"It's just defense," said Derrick Rose, who finished with 22 points and eight assists in 33 minutes. "If every night can be like this where we played defense and get out and run, it would be easy. But it's been hard. We tried to come back from the last game, where it was embarrassing to play in a game like that, and just try to keep playing. That's what we did."

The Bulls, whose lone back-to-back-to-back stretch of the season will conclude at home Wednesday versus winless Washington, hope to replicate Monday's performance against the Timberwolves (3-6), who shot a season-worst 33.8 percent in Monday's 97-87 loss to Toronto.

Minnesota's starting five combined for a season-low 37 points with Kevin Love experiencing the most trouble.

The All-Star forward went 3 of 16 from the field and finished with a season-low 13 points - 11 below his team-leading average - and also missed half of his 10 foul shots. He had made 24 of 30 free throws in his previous five games.

"It felt like there was a cap on the rim at some point," said Love, who did grab 14 rebounds for his ninth consecutive double-double. "I remember (missing) a reverse layup and looking at it like 'You've got to be kidding me."'

The Timberwolves would seemingly be at a disadvantage against Chicago playing in Toronto on Monday and Washington on Sunday, but teams playing for a third consecutive day have enjoyed surprising success. All six NBA teams that have completed back-to-back-to-back stretches have won the finale.

Minnesota's performance Monday, however, gave little reason to believe it can find a way to beat a Chicago team that has swept the last two season series.The Bulls have won the last four meetings with the Timberwolves by an average of 17.0 points.

Carlos Boozer averaged 20.5 points and 10.5 rebounds against the Timberwolves in 2010-11, and is averaging 18.5 points, 8.3 boards and shooting 56.9 percent in his last four games overall. He finished with a season-high 23 points and shot 9 of 13 in 26 minutes Monday, as the Bulls improved to 4-1 during their first stretch of nine games in 12 days in 30 years.

"It's more like AAU except it's in the NBA," Boozer said of the intense travel schedule. "So give you a chance to flash back then get back to work. Honestly, we would rather play the games than the alternative."

Rose leads Bulls over Rubio, Timberwolves, 111-100

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Posted Jan 11 2012 2:49AM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Derrick Rose looked to be cruising toward a much-needed easy night after a dominant first quarter put the Chicago Bulls up big on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Ricky Rubio then made him work for everything he got the rest of the way and may have forced his way into Minnesota's starting lineup in the process.

Rose scored a season-high 31 points and had 11 assists to outlast Rubio in a thrilling duel, leading the Bulls to a 111-100 victory over the Timberwolves on Tuesday night.

"The way it started off we thought it was going to be a good game," said Rose, who played the entire second half after the Wolves erased a 24-point, second-quarter deficit. "It took another turn where we weren't playing defense, they were knocking down their shots, executing their plays and we were really getting hurt."

Luol Deng had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Kyle Korver scored 13 points off the bench for the Bulls, who appeared to be on their way to a blowout early before Rubio led the Wolves back with a 20-2 run at the end of the second quarter.

Rubio had 13 points, 12 assists and four rebounds. Luke Ridnour scored 22 points for the Timberwolves, who just couldn't find an answer for Rose down the stretch.

The reigning MVP shrugged off a mid-game shooting slump to score on an explosion to the basket and then knocked down a little one-handed jumper for an eight-point lead with 2:30 to play.

"At the end we just found a way to win," said Rose, whose Bulls are in the middle of a stretch of nine games in 12 days.

Kevin Love finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds, but his shooting woes continued as he made 5 of 18. Anthony Randolph scored 18 points for the Wolves, who have played contenders Oklahoma City, Miami and Chicago tough only to lose in the end.

The Bulls outrebounded Minnesota 47-30 and Ronnie Brewer scored 17 points to help them to their eighth win in nine games. But Rose was the leader as usual, hitting 4 of 8 3-pointers.

"It happens a lot of times that we played and we are down and then it's when we react," Rubio said. "If we want to win, we have to start from the beginning."

That may be happening sooner than later. Wolves coach Rick Adelman used Rubio off the bench through the first 10 games, but with the starting group digging big holes recently, a move could be coming as soon as Friday in New Orleans.

Starters Wes Johnson, Darko Milicic and Wayne Ellington all played fewer than 10 minutes on Tuesday night, with Adelman going for the energy of Rubio, Randolph, Anthony Tolliver and Derrick Williams. After the game, for the first time all season, Adelman didn't rule out a change to the starting lineup.

"I have two days to think about it," he said.

Rubio's reputation grew when the Spaniard went up against Rose in international play, stripping him on two of the U.S.' first three trips up the floor in an exhibition game.

The two electrifying point guards were neck-and-neck for the final three quarters. Rose had 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting with nine assists and three turnovers in the final 36 minutes while Rubio had 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting with 12 assists, four steals and four turnovers.

"Rubio played a hell of a game," Rose said.

The Bulls knew the Wolves were playing their third game in three nights, and they came out firing. Rose scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the first quarter and the Bulls hit 20 of their first 29 shots.

"He's great," Rubio said. "It's hard to defense him. Maybe he's one of the best, if not the best, player I've ever played against. ... It's hard to guard him. He's the fastest guy I ever played."

Rubio was magnificent during the half-closing surge, assisting or scoring on all but two of the 20 points. He set Love up for three 3-pointers, knocked down a jumper and a free throw and threw a one-handed lob to Randolph that sent the sellout crowd into a frenzy.

Rubio, Randolph and Tolliver started the second half as well, and Ridnour's 3 tied the game at 70 with 3:45 to play in the third quarter.

The Bulls were able to hold on, and now will play Washington at home on Wednesday night trying to join the Thunder as teams to sweep three games in three nights.

"We'll have to see," said Rose, who went to the locker room briefly in the second quarter after aggravating a turf toe injury. "Tomorrow, I'm not sitting out. I know that. I'll be playing."

NOTES: Bulls G Rip Hamilton did not play because of a sore left groin that has kept him out of five of the last six games. C.J. Watson was out with a sprained left elbow. ... Wolves F Michael Beasley was in a walking boot before the game and said it is uncertain when he will return. He said he still feels some pain when walks, primarily when he is on his tip toes. ... Korver went 3 for 3 from 3-point range and has now hit 13 of his last 20 from distance.

Notebook: Bulls 111, Wolves 100

By Phil Miller, for NBA.com
Posted Wednesday January 11, 2012 12:11AM

THE FACTS: Derrick Rose played through a turf-toe injury Monday night in Minneapolis, scoring 14 of his season-high 31 points in the fourth quarer to lead the Bulls to a 111-100 victory over the Timberwolves in Minneapolis. The league's reigning MVP helped Chicago open an early 24-point lead over Minnesota with a 14-point first quarter, struggled through the second and third periods after having his left foot taped, then took over again down the stretch to lead the Bulls to their eighth win in nine games.

Luol Deng added 21 points for Chicago, Ronnie Brewer equaled his season-high with 17, and Kyle Korver continued his hot shooting off the bench, scoring 13 points and hitting all three of his 3-pointers.

Luke Ridnour led Minnesota with 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting, and Ricky Rubio contributed 13 points and 12 assists. That point-guard pair led the Wolves on a 20-2 run to close the first half and turn a 24-point deficit to 6 points at the break. Minnesota eventually tied the score, but never took the lead, as Rose, despite the toe injury, made one crucial shot after another in the fourth quarter to send the Wolves to their fourth loss in five games.

QUOTABLE: "I can't bend my big toe at all. But towards the end, I didn't feel it. They just wrapped it up, I took and Advil, [and] I was good."
-- Rose, after a first-quarter collision with Wolves forward Anthony Tolliver jammed his left foot into the floor

THE STAT: 5 -- Missed shots among the Bulls' first 21 field-goal attempts, a 76.2 percent success rate that, contrasted with the Wolves' 27.4 percent shooting over the same span, resulted in a 24-point Chicago lead early in the second quarter. The Wolves managed to rally to tie the game, but never claimed the lead.

TURNING POINT: The game was tied at 70 when Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau decided to go to a smaller lineup, pulling Carlos Boozer in favor of the more versatile Taj Gibson. At the end of the quarter, with Chicago clinging to a five-point lead, Thibodeau benched Joakim Noah as well. The quicker lineup matched up well with Minnesota's two-point-guard look, and with Rose and Korver hitting open shots, the Bulls quickly pulled out to a 10-point lead that the Wolves never seriously dented.

QUOTABLE II: "The first five minutes in the morning aren't usually a whole lot of fun. But after that, I'm OK."
-- Korver, on the wear and tear of the condensed NBA schedule.

HOT: Korver made 5-of-6 shots Monday, including all three of his 3-pointers, continuing a five-day hot streak. In four games since Friday, Korver has sank 13 of his 20 3-point shots, lifting his season success rate to 53.7 percent.

NOT: Wolves rookie Derrick Williams made only 1-of-7 shots and collected just two rebounds in 22 minutes. Williams shot just 10-for-30 during Minnesota's back-to-back-to-back stretch.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Former Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, who played six games with the Vikings before being released in October, received a warm reception as he walked to a seat a few rows from the court in the first quarter.

GOOD MOVE: After Rubio brought the Wolves back from a 24-point deficit to close the gap to just six at halftime, Minnesota coach Rick Adelman decided to stick with the lineup that closed the first half on a 20-2 run. That meant starters Darko Milicic, Wayne Ellington and Wesley Johnson were on the bench to open a half for the first time all season, and none of the three played a minute in the second half.

ROOKIE WATCH: Rubio impressed Rose with his court vision and shooting ability, leading the Wolves to 18 fast-break points, including a crowd-pleasing alley-oop to Anthony Randolph, with his 12 assists.

NOTABLE: The game drew a sellout crowd of 19,356 to Target Center, the first time in nearly eight years that the Wolves have sold out a weekday (Monday-Thursday) regular-season game, other than home openers. The last weekday sellout came against Seattle on March 31, 2004. ... Wolves forward Michael Beasley was in a walking boot Monday after suffering a sprained right foot on Friday, and the team announced he will be out "indefinitely." Adelman said he hoped Beasley could return in a week or so, but that Beasley is still feeling pain in the foot. ... Bulls guard Richard Hamilton, still feeling the effects of a groin injury, sat out for the fifth time in six games. ...

UP NEXT: For the Bulls, Wednesday vs. Wizards, Friday @ Boston, Saturday vs. Raptors. For the Timberwolves, Friday @ New Orleans, Saturday @ Atlanta, Monday vs. Kings.

• Bulls: --
• Timberwolves: Miller, Webster

• Bulls: Noah
• Timberwolves: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Officials: #17 Joe Crawford, #11 Derrick Collins, #66 Haywoode Workman
• Attendance: 19356
• Duration: 2:11