Bulls-Pistons Preview

By MATT BECKER
Posted Apr 14 2012 1:19PM

Having all but locked up the top seed throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Chicago Bulls' biggest priority leading up to the postseason is Derrick Rose getting the rust off his shot.

Despite that significant issue, the Bulls seemingly should have little trouble beating the Detroit Pistons considering what they accomplished last time out.

Chicago looks to build on an emotional victory and win its 15th straight over the Pistons on Sunday night at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Rose was a game-time decision for Thursday's highly anticipated showdown with Miami after sitting out Tuesday's win over New York with a sprained right ankle. While the league MVP started and claimed his ankle didn't bother him, he was extremely ineffective.

Rose missed 12 of 13 shots and the Bulls (45-14) were outscored by 27 points during his 25-plus minutes. Chicago managed to overcome the three-time All-Star's off-night, however, and pulled away in overtime to win 96-86. The first-place Bulls now lead the Heat by 3 1/2 games with seven to play.

Carlos Boozer had 19 points and Luol Deng added 16, while reserves Kyle Korver scored 17 and C.J. Watson had 16 - including the game-tying 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left in regulation - as Chicago's bench outscored Miami's 47-7.

Rose finished with a career-low three points and didn't play in overtime. He might have spent the entire fourth quarter on the bench, as well, had coach Tom Thibodeau not needed to give Watson a breather.

"These games right here will make me a better player, a stronger player," Rose said.

Rose's poor performance wasn't entirely surprising. He returned from a 12-game absence due to a groin injury for last Sunday's overtime loss at New York, and subsequently injured his ankle. He shot 8 of 26 at Madison Square Garden.

"I'm just trying to get my rhythm back," said Rose, who has missed 23 games.

He sat out the last game against Detroit on March 30, and Chicago won 83-71. Deng scored 20, while Joakim Noah had 19 and 12 rebounds as the Bulls reeled off their 14th straight win in the series since a 104-98 loss at The Palace on Dec. 23, 2008.

The run is Chicago's longest active winning streak over a team, and Detroit's longest current losing streak to an opponent.

The Bulls are one of the NBA's top defensive scoring teams at 88.8 points per game, and in this season's first three meetings, they've held the Pistons to an average of 74.0 points on 39.1 percent shooting. Detroit is one of the league's lowest-scoring teams at 90.5 points per game and Chicago is 31-0 when limiting opponents to 91 or less.

The Pistons (22-37) are coming off Friday's 113-97 loss to Milwaukee, their fourth defeat in five games.

"(The Bucks) were the only ones playing with desperation and urgency," Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said. "They definitely imposed their will on the game."

Rookie Brandon Knight had 25 points Friday, while Ben Gordon scored 24 after averaging 8.8 points in his previous four.

Gordon, who spent his first five seasons with the Bulls, has totaled 18 points in his two games against his former team this season.

In Richard Hamilton's lone game against his former team, the longtime Piston finished with 14 points in a 99-83 win at The Palace on Jan. 4.

Boozer is averaging 18.3 points on 60.0 percent shooting against Detroit this season, while Noah is averaging 12.0 points - also on 60.0 percent shooting.

Rose hits tying 3, Bulls beat Pistons 100-94 in OT

By NOAH TRISTER
Posted Apr 15 2012 10:36PM

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) Derrick Rose brought the ball up the court, his team down by three.

With no timeouts remaining, Chicago wouldn't have a chance to stop and set up a play, but the Bulls' battered point guard didn't need any time to plan his next move. Rose dribbled around a high screen and pulled up just to the right of the top of the arc, where he sank a tying 3-pointer with 6.4 seconds left.

"Freelancing," Rose said. "Pick-and-roll, see what we could get in transition, they backed up and I shot the ball."

Chicago went on to beat Detroit for the 15th straight time, 100-94 in overtime Sunday night. Rose finished with 24 points despite a bad right ankle, and by the end of the night he was wearing a small bandage at the top of the bridge of his nose following a fourth-quarter foul by Detroit's Charlie Villanueva.

Rodney Stuckey scored 32 points for the Pistons, but he missed two crucial free throws late in the fourth quarter. Rose's 3-pointer tied the game at 86 and sent it to the extra session.

"We did everything we needed to win the game other than actually winning the game," Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said. "We made a ton of winning plays, but in this league it is all or nothing, and at the end, the outcome is a loss."

Joakim Noah had 20 points and 17 rebounds for the Bulls, who are 3 1/2 games ahead of Miami in the race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Chicago is an NBA-best 46-14. Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City is two games behind.

Chicago trailed by three in the final minute of the fourth quarter when Carlos Boozer made a shot from the baseline to pull to 84-83 with 56.4 seconds remaining. Tayshaun Prince missed on a drive at the other end, but Boozer couldn't convert inside.

Stuckey made one of two free throws with 16.1 seconds remaining, and Chicago called a timeout, but Luol Deng was called for a five-second violation before inbounding. Stuckey again could make only one of two free throws with 14.2 seconds left, and Rose was able to work his way free for a 3 from near the top of the arc to tie it.

Stuckey's shot from near the free throw line missed, and the game went to overtime.

"We know we have to play better, but at this point of the year, every win is important," Noah said. "When Derrick hit that 3, it just gave our team new life, and we just handled our business in overtime."

Chicago led by one when Kyle Korver made an open 3 from the right wing to make it 95-91. Greg Monroe missed a layup at the other end, and the Bulls held on.

Rose has been bothered by an injured right ankle, and he shot 1 of 13 in Thursday's overtime win over Miami. He was aggressive early against the Pistons, driving smoothly to the basket for a layup to open the scoring and then sinking a perimeter jumper moments later.

Rose and Noah scored 12 points apiece for Chicago in the first half, but the Pistons received an unexpected lift from Villanueva.

After playing only 40 minutes previously during an injury-plagued season, Villanueva came off the bench to score 11 points in the first half, giving Detroit a much-needed boost against Chicago's tough defense.

The Bulls still led 49-41 at halftime and took a 60-46 advantage on a 3-pointer by former Detroit star Richard Hamilton. Then it was the Pistons' turn to clamp down. Detroit held Chicago to only four points the rest of the quarter and took a 66-64 lead into the fourth after a basket by Monroe inside.

Villanueva opened the fourth with a layup and Damien Wilkins added a dunk to give the Pistons a six-point lead, but Chicago got some momentum back when Villanueva was whistled for a flagrant foul after he appeared to catch Rose in the face when the star point guard tried to finish a fast break.

"I was definitely going for the ball, and I certainly had no intention of hitting him in the nose," Villanueva said. "He said some things, and I said something back, but I got the technical. It was just heat of the moment stuff."

After that exchange, the Bulls took a 77-76 lead on a free throw by C.J. Watson.

"I was mad. I'm sick and tired of people trying to take cheap shots at me," Rose said. "He didn't even aim for the ball."

NOTES: There were a number of Bulls fans in the crowd of 17,450, and they started a chant of "MVP" in the third quarter when Rose was shooting free throws. ... Detroit's last win over Chicago was Dec. 23, 2008. This was the second overtime game during the streak. ... Noah had 13 offensive rebounds.

Notebook: Bulls 100, Pistons 94

Posted Sunday April 15, 2012 10:20PM

By Dana Gauruder, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Guard Derrick Rose had 24 points and center Joakim Noah supplied 20 points and 17 rebounds as the Chicago Bulls escaped with a 100-94 victory over the Detroit Pistons at The Palace Sunday night. Rose, who scored just one basket against Miami Thursday, made a 3-pointer with 6.4 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. Chicago remained 3 1/2 games ahead of Miami for the Eastern Conference's top spot. Guard Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons with 32 points.

QUOTABLE: "We're finding ways to win. I don't know how but we're finding ways. We have a good team where I'm trying to catch up with my teammates, trying to play as hard as them, trying to get my rhythm back and they allow me to. They give me the ball in situations that I was in before the injury and I'm just trying to learn my way through it."
-- Rose, who has been battling a right ankle injury, on the comeback victory

THE STAT: 15. The Bulls have defeated their Central Division rival 15 consecutive times, though this was the toughest to get. Chicago completed its third straight four-game sweep of the Pistons in the process. The Pistons haven't beaten them since Dec. 23, 2008, when they pulled out a 104-98 win at The Palace behind a 40-point performance from Stuckey. The Bulls won the first three meetings this season by an average margin of 17.3 points while holding Detroit to 74.0 points per game. It's still not the Pistons' longest losing streak to the Bulls -- they dropped 19 straight to Chicago during the mid-1990s.

TURNING POINT: Stuckey carried the Pistons offense but missed three crucial free throws in the final 1:48 of regulation, including one with 14.2 seconds left that led to Rose's transition 3-pointer to tie the game. If Stuckey had made the final free throw, it would have virtually clinched a Detroit victory since the Bulls were out of timeouts. Noah's screen allowed Rose to gain separation and prevented the Pistons from fouling before the shot went up. Stuckey then missed a 16-foot jumper with one second left in regulation.

QUOTABLE II: "Derrick hit a huge shot at the end of the game and it gave us new life. It was a big win for us. In overtime, we just felt like it was our game."
-- Noah on the Bulls' 46th win this season

HOT: Noah was the most effective frontcourt player on the floor. He had four points, four rebounds and two assists in overtime while racking up his 21st double-double this season. His strong post defense also limited Pistons center Greg Monroe to 13 points and no assists.

NOT: Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince contributed just four points on 2-for-8 shooting and also made three turnovers. He has failed to reach double figures in four of the last five games and has made just six of his last 29 field-goal attempts.

GOOD MOVE: Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau went with Kyle Korver instead of starter Richard Hamilton at shooting guard during the overtime session. Korver popped free for a 3-pointer with 1:25 remaining, giving the Bulls a four-point advantage. He also made two free throws with 20.2 seconds left in OT.

BAD MOVE: Pistons coach Lawrence Frank gave ex-Bull Ben Gordon 12-plus minutes of playing time in the fourth quarter and overtime but Gordon was quiet offensively, scoring just two points while making two turnovers.

ROOKIE WATCH: Pistons point guard Brandon Knight had some good and bad moments against Rose. He had 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds but also committed seven turnovers.

NOTABLE: Detroit forward Charlie Villanueva was assessed a flagrant foul after a hard foul against Rose on a fast break with 4:31 remaining. The two also exchanged words and Villanueva received a technical. Chicago wound up scoring four points on the possession. "I was mad," Rose said. "I'm sick and tired of people trying to take cheap shots at me. You've got to say something." ... Hamilton had 13 points in his second game at The Palace since Detroit bought out his contract prior to the season. ...Bulls forward Luol Deng had just two points in 45 minutes. He's playing with a torn ligament in his left wrist. ... Stuckey, who scored 29 points combined in his previous four games, has reached the 30-point mark four times this season.

UP NEXT: For the Bulls, Monday vs. Washington, Wednesday @ Charlotte, Thursday @ Miami. For the Pistons, Tuesday vs. Cleveland, Wednesday @ Atlanta, Thursday vs. Minnesota.

• Bulls: Scalabrine
• Pistons: Macklin

• Bulls: --
• Pistons: Villanueva

• Lead Changes: 12
• Times Tied: 11

• Arena: Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
• Officials: #8 Marc Davis, #20 Leroy Richardson, #59 Gary Zielinski
• Attendance: 17450
• Duration: 2:53