Derrick Rose leads the Chicago Bulls to a 118-100 victory over the Utah Jazz
Derrick Rose scored 17 of his 26 points from three-pointers, as the Chicago Bulls posted their sixth consecutive win of the 2010-11 season with a 118-100 victory over the struggling Utah Jazz, at the United Centre on Saturday night.
The 27-year-old Jazz guard Devin Harris appreciated Rose and the team effort from the Bulls. He said, "They are playing championship-caliber basketball right now. Derrick is playing great leading those guys and everyone else is playing their role and doing
it well.”
On Saturday night, the Bulls scorched the floor from downtown by banging in a franchise high 18 three-pointers in the game. The men from the windy city also notched a place in the NBA history books by knocking down 13 three-pointers from long-range in the
first quarter alone.
With their 47th victory of the current season, the Bulls are now tied for top spot in the Eastern Conference with the Boston Celtics.
Luol Deng also played an effective game with 26 points, six assists and seven rebounds. Kyle Korver finished with 17 points for the Bulls, who have won nine of their last 10 games.
Both Joakim Noah and C.J. Watson registered 16 points for Chicago, who had a solid 29-4 home record during this season. The 25-year-old centre Al Jefferson did all he could to help Utah get back into the contest, as he had a game-high 33 points and 18 rebounds
in the defeat.
Harris added 24 points while the 34-year-old guard Raja Bell scored 14 points for the Jazz, who have lost their second straight game.
Match Analysis
The Bulls went into the game just one win short of sharing top position with the Boston Celtics. They played quality shots, clogged the middle and thrashed the Jazz in front of their home crowd.
Chicago started the game aggressively as they went on an 11-0 run in the first four minutes of play to take an early lead. The Bulls managed to take a 37-17 lead into the second quarter on the back of a 17-point effort from Rose.
The Bulls continued to play offensively in the second quarter and stretched their lead to 59-32 with three and a half minutes to go in the quarter. Chicago carried a 68-41 advantage into the locker room, holding the visiting team to 29 percent throughout
the quarter.
The Jazz fought hard in the third quarter and trimmed the deficit to 88-71 heading into the final stanza. Chicago held a double-digit lead throughout the fourth quarter and were not bothered at all by the Jazz as they sealed an easy win.
The 25-year-old Centre Joakim Noah said that the reason why the Bulls are at the top nowadays is the team's hardwork. Noah said after the game, "You have still got to go out there and stay hungry, stay driven. Everything that's happened so far is because
of hard work, and we've got to keep doing it."
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