Pacers-Bulls Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Jan 25 2012 1:35AM

The Chicago Bulls have overcome more than their fair share of injuries in posting the league's best record.

While reigning league MVP Derrick Rose returned to the lineup their last time out, the Bulls are likely to be without Luol Deng for at least the next few games.

Injury-plagued Chicago looks to stay undefeated at home Wednesday night against the Indiana Pacers as the teams meet for the first time since last season's first-round playoff matchup.

After missing the previous four contests due to a sprained left big toe, Rose posted 22 points, eight assists and five rebounds as Chicago (16-3) improved to 8-0 at the United Center with Monday's 110-95 win over New Jersey.

"All the games I missed I wanted to play," Rose, who said he could be hindered by the injury all season, told the team's official site. "I hate to sit out. I wanted to play knowing we're winning and playing against all these great guards. I missed that."

The Bulls went 3-1 during Rose's absence thanks in large part to Deng, who averaged 19.5 points over that span. Deng, though, suffered what was revealed Tuesday as a torn ligament in his left wrist during Saturday's 95-89 win over Charlotte and is listed as week-to-week.

"I know it's a bad injury and it sounds terrible, but really, I think it will fine. We've got a good team, and I think I'm going to be fine," said Deng, who is hoping to avoid surgery.

"I'm just trying to get it down to a certain level where I can play again. I'm really confident in the fact that I'll be out there, hopefully soon."

In addition to Deng, Chicago continues to persevere despite also dealing with injuries to John Lucas III (strained groin) and Taj Gibson (sprained left ankle).

"It's a testament to our guys," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "I think we have the right guys. Whenever they are called upon they are ready to go. They're not here by accident. We feel they are all talented and can play. When they get the opportunity, they all do well and we expect them to do well."

The Bulls haven't opened with nine straight home victories since winning their first 37 games as host in 1995-96. Since selecting Rose No. 1 overall in the 2008 draft, Chicago has taken all nine home meetings in this series by an average of 12.8 points - including the 2010-11 postseason.

While the Pacers (11-5) proved to be a formidable opponent during last season's playoffs, they ultimately came up short, losing the series 4-1.

Second-place Indiana dropped to 3 1/2 games behind Chicago in the Central Division with its first home defeat of the season, 102-83 to Orlando on Tuesday.

"We just have to take this loss and move on," Paul George said. "It's a long season. We must continue to grow and help each other."

The Pacers shot 39.7 percent from the floor and were outscored 57-38 in the second half.

"We had poor offensive execution the whole game," coach Frank Vogel said. "We know how to play. We've played good basketball all year and we didn't tonight."

While Indiana is likely to have its hands full with Rose, the Pacers could also have a hard time trying to contain Richard Hamilton.

Hamilton had a season-high 10 assists Monday and is averaging 21.0 points on 61.3 percent shooting in his last two games.

"He gives you great leadership, play making ability, big shot making ability and more importantly, he makes the right play," Thibodeau said. "... He runs the floor and he never stops moving. He makes the offense hard to be defended. That becomes contagious."

Granger, Hibbert lead Pacers

By RICK GANO
Posted Jan 25 2012 11:51PM

CHICAGO (AP) Still smarting from an emotional loss in the rugged first round of the playoffs to the Chicago Bulls nine months ago, the Indiana Pacers returned to the United Center and scrapped as if they were back in the postseason.

Sure it was just another regular-season game in a schedule crammed with them following the lockout, but after the Pacers beat the Bulls 95-90 Wednesday night - ending Chicago's unbeaten streak at home - the satisfaction was evident.

"They are just thrilled to get the win here," coach Frank Vogel said. "They were crushed that we didn't beat them last year in the playoffs."

Danny Granger scored 22 points and a much-improved Roy Hibbert had 20, including a key dunk with 13 seconds to go, as the Pacers showed their progress from the five-game loss to the Bulls last April. Adding free-agent David West, who had 14 points, also has helped.

"The difference between this year's team and last year's team, we have confidence that we'll score at crunch time," Vogel said. "We'll score in the fourth quarter. We didn't have that last year."

The victory, one night after the Pacers lost by 19 at home to Orlando, was of the comeback variety as they rallied from 10 points back at half.

The Pacers limited injury-depleted Chicago to 36 second-half points and held Derrick Rose to two points in the fourth quarter. Last season's MVP finished with 24 points.

Trailing by two in the final half-minute, the Bulls had the ball in Rose's hands but when he saw his path to the basket impeded, he moved it to the corner to reserve Brian Scalabrine, whose 24-foot attempt bounded off the rim.

"Trusting my teammate," Rose said. "I think it was a good shot. At the time I thought I didn't have the shot and I think I made the right play. ... That's usually his shot. I'd give it to him again."

After the missed shot the ball started to go out of bounds, but Chicago's Joakim Noah saved it, Indiana's Darren Collison retrieved it and tried to dribble out some of the clock. The ball got away before Granger passed it to Hibbert for the clinching dunk, ending the mad scramble.

"This was a big win for us," Granger said. "Right now we expect to win. We gave them a lot of easy buckets and they kind of blew the led open in the last two minute of the first half. In the third quarter we knew we were going to make a run and we did. We turned up the defense."

The Bulls, missing injured starting forward Luol Deng (torn ligament left wrist), fell to 16-4 overall and 8-1 at home. Top sub Taj Gibson sat out his third straight game with a left ankle sprain.

Ronnie Brewer, who started for Deng, scored 20 and grabbed 10 rebounds.

"The NBA is the NBA and people are going to get injured," Rose said. "So guys got to step up. We have to step up as a team."

West had a basket and a dunk and the Pacers forged a five-point lead early in the final quarter.

Indiana kept it a five-point margin when Paul George made a nice crossover dribble and roared into the lane for a dunk with just over 6 minutes remaining. Granger's jumper increased the lead to seven with about four minutes left.

Chicago quickly sliced it to three on a tip-in by Carlos Boozer and then a dunk by Noah following an Indiana turnover. .

Brewer's two free throws with 1:33 left cut the Pacers lead to 90-88. But West made a runner across the lane before Chicago's Richard Hamilton hit two from the line with 57 seconds remaining to make it 92-90 Pacers.

Rose showed no sign of a sprained left big toe that has caused him to miss time this season. He hit a 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer but it was waved off after officials reviewed the video and saw that Rose didn't release the ball in time.

As the half was nearing its end, Rose blocked a shot, got the rebound and made a long pass to Hamilton for a layup and subsequent three-point play that gave the Bulls a 10-point lead as they closed the half on a 14-5 run.

But the Pacers came out flying in the third quarter. Paul George hit a 3-pointer and Granger broke free for two baskets and Indiana quickly chopped the lead to two.

The Pacers finally regained the lead on another hook by Hibbert, but Rose responded with a three-point play. West's free throw with less than a second to go put Indiana up 75-74 after three.

NOTES: Indiana's A.J. Price did not make the trip because of strep throat and neither did Jeff Foster, who is bothered by a sore lower back.

Notebook: Pacers 95, Bulls 90

By Kent McDill, for NBA.com
Posted Wednesday January 25, 2012 11:31PM

THE FACTS: In the first meeting of the season between the top two (and only winning) teams of the Central Division, the Indiana Pacers invaded the United Center Wednesday and beat the Chicago Bulls 95-90, giving the Bulls their first home loss of the season. Danny Granger led the Pacers with 22 points, and Roy Hibbert had 20. Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 24 points, while Ronnie Brewer had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds playing in place of injured forward Luol Deng. Joakim Noah had a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls.

THE FACTS II: The teams played a contentious playoff series against each other last spring, and the newly-heated rivalry only burns brighter as a result of this game. The Bulls were playing without Deng and sixth man Taj Gibson due to injury, while the Pacers were without Jeff Foster for the same reason.

QUOTABLE: "The Orlando Magic taught us a valuable lesson last night, that you can go into Boston and score 56 points, but you can still go on the road on a back-to-back, pull yourself together, have a gut-check effort and come back and win a game." -- Indiana coach Frank Vogel, whose team lost to the Magic Tuesday at home after the Magic scored just 56 points the night before in Boston.

THE STAT: In a game between the Pacers, who rank second in opponent's field goal percentage, and the Bulls, who rank first in opponent's scoring, the Pacers held the Bulls to 40 percent from the field on their home court. The Pacers shot 47.5 percent.

THE STAT II: The Bulls and Pacers rank 1-2 in rebounding, but the Pacers outboarded the Bulls 44-41.

TURNING POINT: The Bulls led 54-44 at halftime, but it took the Pacers just 2 1/2 minutes to erase most of that lead at the start of the third quarter. The Pacers led the entire fourth quarter, at one point by as much as seven points.

INJURY UPDATE: The Bulls have a road date in Miami Sunday in which both Deng and Gibson hope to come back from injury. Indiana guard A.J. Price remained out with strep throat but was expected to play against the Celtics Friday.

HOT: Playing against two of the best defensive centers in the league in Noah and Omer Asik of the Bulls, Hibbert went nine for 14 from the field for 20 points.

NOT: C.J. Watson, who played well starting in place of Rose last week, was zero for six from the field as his backup Wednesday.

ROOKIE WATCH: With Deng out and Brewer starting in his place, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau gave rookie Jimmy Butler from Marquette six minutes of playing time in the first half. Butler made his only field goal attempt but had two quick turnovers when he entered the game.

BAD MOVE: With the Bulls trailing, 92-90, in the game's final minute, Rose passed the ball to Brian Scalabrine open outside the arc in the right corner. Scalabrine missed the open 3-pointer badly and the Pacers controlled the rebound to secure the win.

QUOTABLE II: "I trust my teammate. I didn't have a shot. I thought I made the right play."
-- Rose, talking about passing the ball to seldom-used Scalabrine, who was put in the game as a defensive replacement for Carlos Boozer on the previous Pacers possession.

NOTABLE: The Bulls play one more home game against Milwaukee Friday before embarking on a nine-game road swing through the Eastern Conference.

UP NEXT: For the Bulls, vs. Bucks Friday, @ Heat Sunday, @ Wizards Monday. For the Pacers, @ Celtics Friday, @ Magic Sunday, vs. Nets Tuesday.

• Pacers: --
• Bulls: Gibson

• Pacers: Hibbert
• Bulls: --

• Lead Changes: 8
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: United Center, Chicago, IL
• Officials: #8 Marc Davis, #42 Eric Lewis, #45 Brian Forte
• Attendance: 21755
• Duration: 2:18