Derrick Rose – less Chicago Bulls spank Orlando Magic 85-59: NBA Recap
On Monday night the Chicago Bulls entered the Amway centre in Orlando, without their talisman Derrick Rose, who missed the fourth straight game with a sore groin.
However his absence didn’t bother the Bulls much as they showed the depth of their roster, holding the Magic to 59 points in the game, including 26 in the second half.
The Magic were horrendous on the shooting front. They shot 35 percent overall, including 20 percent distance and only 39 percent from the free throw line, slumping to an 85-59 defeat and giving the Bulls their fifth win in the
last six games.
Carlos Boozer had huge night with 24 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls, who also got 20 points off the bench from John Lucas III. He nailed 8-of-13 from the floor, including 4-of-7 from downtown helping Tom Thibodeau become
the quickest coach in history to win 100 games. The Bulls head coach has done it in his 130th game.
It was three consecutive Lucas treys late in the first quarter that set the tone for a blowout.
With 1:42 left in the frame and the Magic leading by 14-13, Lucas ran to the three point line completely unguarded and drilled his first. A Jason Richardson turnover gave him the opportunity for another, 32 seconds later, and then
Howard turned the ball over to facilitate the point guard for yet another three.
Lucas then started the second quarter with a jumper to give Chicago a 24-14 edge. Orlando tried to fight back and drew within 22-28, but were taken aback by a 7-nothing Bulls spurt.
Howard made a layup to start a 9-3 run in the ensuing passage, but the league leaders capped the half with a 9-2 run to take a 48-33 lead into the locker room.
A 10-3 push at the start of the third saw the Magic cut into a single figure deficit, 43-51, but all the good work was undone by missing seven of the next nine shots as the Bulls firmed their grip at 60-48 after three.
An 11-2 burst early in the fourth quarter proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Orlando. Dwight Howard with 18 points and 12 boards was the only significant contributor for the hosts.
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