Bulls 118, Jazz 100
Derrick Rose scored 17 of his 26 points in the first quarter as the Chicago Bulls opened up a big early lead and cruised to their sixth straight victory, 118-100, over the visiting Utah Jazz on Saturday.
Luol Deng added 26 points and Joakim Noah chipped in 16 points and nine boards for the Bulls (47-18), who pulled even for first place in the Eastern Conference with the idle Boston Celtics (46-17).
Al Jefferson collected 33 points and 18 rebounds for the slumping Jazz (34-33).
Rose went 5 of 6 from 3-point range in the first 12 minutes, burying two in a row to put Chicago up 30-10 less than 10 minutes into the contest. Rose beat the buzzer with another 3-pointer to keep it a 20-point margin, 37-17, after one quarter.
Rose cooled in the second but the Bulls did not, getting nine points from Kyle Korver in the frame and opening it up to a 68-41 lead at the break. Chicago shot 54 percent, including 13 of 20 from beyond the arc, in the first half.
The Bulls stretched it out to as much as 31 points, 75-44, on Keith Bogans’ 3-pointer early in the third before taking their foot off the gas.