Bulls 96, Pacers 90
Derrick Rose took over again, scoring 14 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter as the Chicago Bulls grabbed a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series with a 96-90 victory over the visiting Indiana Pacers on Monday.
Rose added eight rebounds and six assists, and Carlos Boozer collected 17 points and 16 boards for the Bulls, who will head to Indiana on Thursday looking to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
After taking over at the end of Game 1 when Chicago finished with a 16-1 surge, Rose put it on himself again in Game 2. The presumptive MVP put the Bulls up for good with 5:16 to play when he drove the right side of the lane and flipped in a hook shot as he was being fouled. His free throw made it 79-78.
Rose scored six more points over the next three minutes, responding when the Pacers tried to get back on top.
Kyle Korver, who buried a key 3-pointer in the final minutes in Game 1, stepped up again in Game 2 when he connected from beyond the arc to make it 90-85 with 1:04 remaining before Chicago clinched it at the foul line.
Danny Granger scored 19 points for the Pacers, who lost point guard Darren Collison to a sprained ankle in the second quarter.