Raptors-Bulls Preview

By MATT BECKER
Posted Jan 14 2012 12:53AM

Protecting home court is obviously one of the biggest priorities for any team with playoff aspirations. The Chicago Bulls are not having any trouble with that objective.

Derrick Rose looks to help the Bulls open 5-0 at home for the first time in more than 15 years Saturday night against the struggling Toronto Raptors.

Rose sat out Chicago's last home game, a 78-64 win over Washington on Wednesday, with a sprained left big toe. He returned Friday in Boston, and didn't seem to have any problems despite being a game-time decision, finishing with 25 points and seven assists in an 88-79 win.

The Bulls (11-2), who led by as many as 20, saw their lead trimmed to one with 10 minutes remaining, but that's when Rose took over. The reigning league MVP scored Chicago's next seven points to help lift the team to a fourth consecutive victory and 10th in 11 games.

Rose said he was tentative at first to see how his toe felt but didn't report any pain.

"Not really," said Rose, who had 12 points after the lead fell to one. "It's probably because my adrenaline was going and I wanted to win."

The Bulls now return to the United Center, where they've won their first four games by an average of 20.0 points. Chicago, which also opened the 1997-98 season with four straight home victories, hasn't started a season with five consecutive wins at the United Center since opening 7-0 in 1996.

The Bulls, winners of 30 of their last 32 regular-season home games, won both meetings with the Raptors in 2010-11 on the United Center floor and took three of four in the season series. They averaged 111.8 points in the four games, their highest-scoring output against any Eastern Conference opponent

Carlos Boozer averaged 22.0 points and 10.3 rebounds, and Rose combined for 68 points and 20 assists in the final two meetings - a 118-113 loss in Toronto on Feb. 23 and a 113-106 home win on April 2.

The Raptors (4-8) play for the seventh time in nine days and open a three-game trip. They're coming off Friday's 95-90 loss to Indiana, a game they played without leading scorer Andrea Bargnani (strained left calf).

DeMar DeRozan picked up the scoring slack early, finishing with 14 first-quarter points, but only scored nine more the rest of the way.

The Raptors are hopeful Bargnani, who is averaging 22.3 points, can return Saturday because scoring on Chicago has been very difficult.

The Bulls are allowing a league-low 85.3 points and have been significantly better at home, yielding an average of 67.5 points on 33.9 percent shooting.

Bargnani played in two games against the Bulls last season, totaling 47 points and 14 rebounds.

Aside from playing almost every night, the Raptors have had trouble with a relatively easy schedule, and that doesn't bode well with the competition about to get significantly tougher.

Toronto has lost three straight and five of six, with three of those defeats coming to New Jersey, Washington and Sacramento. After Chicago, the Raptors head to Atlanta on Monday and Boston on Wednesday before returning home to play Portland on Friday.

Rose leads Bulls to 77-64 win over Raptors

Posted Jan 14 2012 10:35PM

CHICAGO (AP) Derrick Rose had 18 points and 11 assists, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 77-64 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.

Rose keyed a seven-point burst to open the fourth period, assisting on three straight field goals. John Lucas III hit a 3-pointer and Taj Gibson scored twice, opening up an 11-point lead for Chicago.

Carlos Boozer added 17 points and Luol Deng had 14 points for Chicago, which won its fifth straight and improved to a league-best 12-2. Taj Gibson scored nine of his 11 points in the fourth.

The Bulls are 5-0 at home for the first time since opening the 1996-97 season with seven straight wins at the United Center. Chicago has held its opponents to just 66.8 points game on its home court.

DeMar DeRozan and Leandro Barbosa scored 15 points each for Toronto, which dropped its fourth straight.

Chicago was played its ninth game in 12 days, something the Bulls hadn't done since 1972. Chicago is 8-1 over that span.

Toronto played for the seventh time in nine nights.

Chicago led by four entering the fourth quarter, an unusually close game for a team that had won all four of its home games by an average of 20 points per game.

Rose took over with his playmaking, scoring just two points but notching five assists in the final period as Chicago went on a 19-6 run to start the period.

The Raptors didn't score from the foul line until Linas Kleiza made a free throw with 7:14 to go in the fourth. Toronto was just 1 for 7 from the line in game and was whistled for 15 fouls to only seven for Chicago.

Chicago shot 55 percent and led by 13 points in the opening period, but fell flat in the second, shooting just 30 percent from the floor.

Former Bulls player James Johnson capped a 10-2 second quarter surge with a jumper, putting Toronto ahead. Johnson scored 10 points in the first half, surpassing his season high of eight points for a full game.

Rose scored seven points in the first quarter and keyed a nine-point run with a pullup 3-pointer in transition as Chicago jumped out to a 23-14 lead.

The game was tied 37-all at the break and the pace didn't pick up much in the third. Rose scored seven points in the period, but both teams shot under 40 percent.

NOTES: Bulls guards Richard Hamilton (sore left groin) and C.J. Watson (left elbow strain) each missed the game. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said he wants to avoid pushing Hamilton, who has missed eight of Chicago's last nine games, into action until the 13-year veteran is completely healed. . Watson may return to action as soon as Monday. Thibodeau said he'd like for Watson to go through at least one practice before playing in a game. . The Raptors played without leading scorer Andrea Bargnani for the second straight game because of a left calf strain. Coach Dwane Casey said Bargnani, who is averaging a career-best 22.3 points per game, is as day to day but his injury is not as serious as the Raptors initially feared. . With backup point guard Jerryd Bayless still out with a sprained left ankle, Casey said he will continue to mix wing player Gary Forbes in at the position. . Neither team made a free throw until Chicago's Carlos Boozer sank one to complete a three-point play with 9:41 to go in the third quarter.

Notebook: Bulls 77, Raptors 64

By Kent McDill, for NBA.com
Posted Saturday January 14, 2012 11:36PM

THE FACTS: Playing (and winning) their fifth game in six nights, the Chicago Bulls waited until the fourth quarter Saturday to put away the Toronto Raptors, who were also playing their fifth game in six nights. Derrick Rose had 18 points and 11 assists while Carlos Boozer had 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls, who beat the Raptors 77-64 at the United Center. Taj Gibson and John Lucas III, both bench players, scored 17 of the Bulls' 21 points in the fourth quarter to lift the Bulls to their fifth straight victory. DeMar DeRozan and Leandro Barbosa each had 15 points for the Raptors, who dropped their fourth straight game.

QUOTABLE: "With this team, you never know who is going to step up."
-- Rose, talking about the fourth quarter contributions of Gibson and Lucas.

THE STAT: In 22 minutes, Gibson had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls. Gibson, Boozer and Joakim Noah combined for 37 of the Bulls' 52 rebounds.

THE STAT II: At halftime, with the score tied 37-37, both teams were 18 for 43 from the field. They both had 26 rebounds, and two team rebounds. They each had eight assists and three turnovers.

TURNING POINT: With 5:22 left in the third quarter and the Bulls leading 48-46, the Bulls came out with a passionate defensive effort and took charge. Then they scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to build a 63-52 lead which the Raptors could not slice.

INJURY UPDATE: Richard Hamilton (groin) and C.J. Watson (elbow) remained out for the Bulls on Saturday, although Watson believes he will be able to play Monday at Memphis. Andrea Bargnani (calf) and Jerryd Bayless (ankle) remained out for the Raptors. Forward James Johnson sprained his right ankle in the second half and left the game.

HOT: Former Bull James Johnson was six for 11 from the field off the bench for the Raptors before leaving the game with a sprained ankle at the end of the third quarter.

QUOTABLE II: "We have had one practice since Christmas."
-- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau.

GOOD MOVE: Thibodeau simply does not operate the way other NBA coaches do when it comes to player rotations. He played Lucas with Rose for the entire fourth quarter, and played the final 7:55 without a true center as the Bulls pulled away with the victory.

NOTABLE: There were four free throws attempted in the game's first minute, two by each team (Luol Deng for the Bulls, Ed Davis for the Raptors). They were all missed. Leandro Barbosa of Toronto missed the next free throw attempt of the game early in the second quarter. Midway through the second quarter, Deng again missed, putting the game at 0-for-6 from the line at halftime. The first made free throw came at the 9:41 mark of the third quarter by Bulls forward Boozer. The Raptors finished the game one-for-seven from the line.

UP NEXT: For the Bulls, @ Memphis Monday, vs. Suns Tuesday, @ Cavaliers Friday. For the Raptors, @ Hawks Monday, at Celtics Wednesday, vs. Trail Blazers Friday.

• Raptors: Alabi, Gray
• Bulls: Watson

• Raptors: --
• Bulls: --

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: United Center, Chicago, IL
• Officials: #55 Bill Kennedy, #6 Tony Brown, #31 Scott Wall
• Attendance: 21962
• Duration: 1:56