Bulls 109, Spurs 99
Derrick Rose erupted for a career-high 42 points as the Chicago Bulls remained red-hot at home with a 109-99 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night.
Rose shredded the Spurs' defense with an array of layups and jumpers, finishing 18 for 28 from the field as the Bulls (38-16) improved to 15-1 in their last 16 home games. Rose added eight assists, while Luol Deng had 19 points and Carlos Boozer chipped in with 15.
Tony Parker led the way with 26 points for the Spurs (46-10), who became the last NBA team to reach double digits in the loss column.
Rose made an immediate impact, scoring 11 points in the first quarter as Chicago opened up a five-point lead. His short jumper put the Bulls back in front after the Spurs had surged ahead late in the second, and he had Chicago's final six points of the half as the Bulls led 58-51 at the break.
Chicago nursed its single-digit lead for the entire third quarter, with consecutive short shots by Rose in the final two minutes giving the Bulls a 83-75 advantage heading into the fourth.
A Deng 3-pointer extended the lead to double digits early in the quarter, and Rose added a long looping jumper and a running layup to quell one last Spurs surge with three minutes remaining. Shortly after scoring his 42nd point in the final moments, the United Center crowd serenaded him with chants of "M-V-P!".