Nets-Bulls Preview

By KATE HEDLIN
Posted Feb 17 2012 4:59PM

Derrick Rose has played just once since suffering back spasms in a game against the New Jersey Nets earlier this month. Judging by the way the Chicago Bulls finished that game and have played since, they might not rush him back for the rematch.

Rose appears closer to returning, but it remains unclear if he'll be back Saturday when the Bulls go for their fifth straight win over the woeful Nets at the United Center.

Chicago played its fourth consecutive game without Rose on Thursday, improving to 7-2 this season without the reigning league MVP after defeating Boston 89-80.

Coach Tom Thibodeau said Rose was more involved in Friday's light practice - he wasn't able to run at Thursday's shootaround - but is still day to day. Thibodeau added that whether Rose comes back Saturday depends on "how he feels," but the Bulls want him to be pain-free when he returns.

Rose first felt the back spasms in a 108-87 win over New Jersey on Feb. 6, sitting out the entire second half. He played 22 minutes against New Orleans two nights later but has not been on the court since.

"He wants to be out there so bad," All-Star forward Luol Deng said. "I can see it. Everyone sees it. I keep telling him, 'You've just got to be smart.'"

Thanks to balanced scoring, Chicago (25-7) hasn't missed Rose too much. On Thursday, Deng had 23 points and at least 10 assists for the second straight game, Carlos Boozer added 23 points with 15 rebounds and C.J. Watson, starting in Rose's place, scored 11.

"I think we're all confident in our abilities, but we know that we're not getting to where we want to go without that guy," said Joakim Noah, who has four double-doubles in his last five games.

Noah tied a season high with 16 rebounds Thursday as the Bulls had a 52-37 edge on the glass, including 16-6 on the offensive boards. Chicago leads the Eastern Conference with 45.1 rebounds per game.

It seems the Bulls, who have won seven of eight and own the league's best record, would be fine without Rose for this matchup. They're 11-1 at home and have won 18 straight overall against teams which currently have losing records, including easy victories in both matchups with New Jersey (8-23).

Chicago shot a combined 56.5 percent in those two wins. With Rose playing less than 11 minutes in the last meeting, Boozer scored 24 points while Deng had 19 as the Bulls posted their fourth straight win in the series.

The Nets have lost four straight and eight of nine at the United Center, and they return to Chicago having dropped eight in a row overall. They haven't had a longer losing streak since an 11-game skid from Jan. 2-23, 2010.

New Jersey (8-23) is coming off a 93-88 loss at Indiana on Thursday, blowing a double-digit lead for the second straight game.

"We had them down 10 early," said Deron Williams, who scored 12 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter. "We just have to learn to put our foot on teams."

Williams is averaging 25.8 points over the last six games for the Nets, who have not scored more than 92 in six of their last seven games.

Kris Humphries had 24 points and 10 rebounds Thursday after averaging 9.8 points in the previous five games. He hasn't been much of a factor in the two meetings with Chicago, averaging 8.5 points and 7.5 boards.

Nets pound Bulls 97-85, stop 8-game slide

By ANDREW SELIGMAN
Posted Feb 18 2012 8:10PM

CHICAGO (AP) Pounded all season, the New Jersey Nets finally got an easy win of their own. And they did it against one of the league's best teams.

Deron Williams scored 29 points, Kris Humphries had 24 points and 18 rebounds, and New Jersey beat the Chicago Bulls 97-85 Saturday to snap an eight-game losing streak.

Chicago's Derrick Rose missed his fifth straight game because of back pain, and the Nets took advantage, jumping out to a 22-3 lead while rolling to their first victory since Feb. 1.

"I'm just happy the streak is over," Williams said. "It's not fun losing. It's a great win for us. This is a good team despite the guys they have out."

The dominant win wasn't the only good news for New Jersey. Coach Avery Johnson said center Brook Lopez will start Sunday against Milwaukee after being sidelined all season by a broken right foot, a big boost for a team that began the day last in the Atlantic Division.

Lopez was injured in the preseason and the Nets have floundered all year, but they took control right from the start in a surprisingly easy victory over Chicago.

With Rose sidelined, Williams had his way. He scored 21 points in the first half and hit five 3-pointers in the game. He also had eight assists.

Humphries narrowly missed season-highs for points (25) and rebounds (19), while MarShon Brooks added 19 points.

"It's been a long time where I've seen us perform like that on both ends of the floor early in the game," Johnson said. "We were contesting shots. Getting after it."

The Bulls had won seven of eight, but the way they were rushing shots and slacking off on defense, they never had a chance. For once, they looked like a team that was missing its star.

Rose remained day to day and the Bulls simply seemed lost.

"Deron Williams came out and set the tone for them," Thibodeau said. "We were back on our heels. You get what you deserve in this league."

And the Bulls didn't deserve much, the way they played.

They shot just over 39 percent, hitting 3 of 13 3-pointers. Things were no better at the foul line, with the Bulls going 16 of 27, and there were simply too many letdowns on defense.

"We had a bad day," Luol Deng said. "We've got no excuses. We played terrible, but it's over with."

Carlos Boozer and journeyman Mike James each scored 16 points, with Deng and Taj Gibson adding 14 apiece. Joakim Noah, who had been playing well, was a non-factor, going scoreless and grabbing six rebounds, and Chicago never recovered after a brutal start.

"Everyone says the NBA, it's the last five minutes," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "No, it's not."

This one certainly wasn't.

Williams hit three 3s as the Nets jumped out to their big lead early and ended the half with a flurry to make it 59-45.

Deng had just hit a 3 to pull Chicago within seven when Williams answered with two free throws, a 3-pointer and two more foul shots to go up 14. The Nets added to their lead early in the third, Humphries' rebound-dunk midway through the quarter boosting New Jersey's lead to 67-48, and the Bulls never mounted a serious run.

They would score a few baskets and turn it over, or they'd miss a shot and the Nets would make one. Either way, that big rally never came. It was just a stunning performance by a team that's 25-8 halfway through the season.

For the Nets, this was simply a big relief.

"We gave the Bulls a dose of what teams have given us all year," Johnson said.

NOTES: Johnson said Lopez went through an "extensive" workout Friday and responded well. The plan is for Lopez to sit out Monday's game against New York and play Wednesday against Orlando. ... The Bulls are 7-3 without Rose. He has been limited by toe and back problems at times. ... C.J. Watson came up clutching his head after running into a rotating Kris Humphries late in the third quarter and left the game. Watson, who said he was elbowed, had "a little headache, migraine."

Notebook: Nets 97, Bulls 85

Posted Saturday February 18, 2012 8:01PM

By Kent McDill, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Continuing the NBA's weekend of weird wins, the New Jersey Nets dominated the host Chicago Bulls from the start on the way to an easy 97-85 victory at the United Center, ending an eight-game losing streak. The Nets took a 22-3 lead in the game's first five minutes and the Bulls never got closer than seven points the rest of the game. Deron Williams had 29 points for the Nets, who also got 24 points and 18 rebounds from Kris Humphries. Carlos Boozer and recent D-League callup Mike James led the Bulls with 16 points.

THE FACTS II: The Nets joined the Charlotte Bobcats and the New Orleans Hornets in getting unexpected road wins this weekend. The Nets are actually 6-12 on the road and 3-11 at home.

QUOTABLE: "This was definitely the best defensive game of the season for us. We got going early, built a lead and didn't let it evaporate."
-- New Jersey guard Deron Williams

THE STAT: The Bulls never recovered from a first quarter that saw them shoot 32 percent (7-for-22) from the field while allowing the Nets to shoot 67 percent (14-for-21). The Bulls also shot just 45 percent (5-for-11) from the free throw line in the first quarter.

INJURY UPDATE: While Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said guards Derrick Rose and Rip Hamilton continue to improve and could return to active duty soon, guard C.J. Watson took a hit in the face running into Humphries in the third quarter and left the game. Watson has started in place of Rose for the last five games.

HOT: Channeling his inner Jeremy Lin, 10-year veteran and recent D-League callup James had his best NBA game in a long time, scoring 16 points with seven assists. He has moved past John Lucas III in the Bulls' guard rotation. James has also fouled out of the two games he has played since being recalled from the Erie Bayhawks.

NOT: Playing against a centerless Nets team (6-foot-9 Shelden Williams starts in place of injured centers Brook Lopez and Mehmet Okur), Bulls centers Joakim Noah and Omer Asik combined to go 0-for-8 from the field and finished scoreless.

ROOKIE WATCH: Nets starter MarShon Brooks out of Providence had 19 points in the win.

QUOTABLE II: "Sometimes, games are won in the first quarter. Even though the Nets' record is what it is, this is the NBA, and if a team starts hitting their shots, it is hard to get them out of their rhythm."
-- Bulls guard Mike James

NOTABLE: The loss dropped the Bulls to 25-8, and put them behind the Miami Heat for best record in the East. The Bulls have a winning percentage of .757, while the 24-7 Heat are at .774.

UP NEXT: For the Bulls, Monday vs. Atlanta, Wednesday vs. Milwaukee, Friday vs. New Orleans. For the Nets, Sunday vs. Milwaukee, Monday @ New York, Wednesday vs. Orlando.

• Nets: James, Lopez, Williams
• Bulls: Hamilton

• Nets: Williams
• Bulls: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: United Center, Chicago, IL
• Officials: #74 Curtis Blair, #24 Mike Callahan, #56 Mark Ayotte
• Attendance: 22300
• Duration: 2:20