Rose leads Bulls over Nuggets 106-101
Chicago Bulls’ Pau Gasol (16) blocks a shot by Denver Nuggets’ Timofey Mozgov, right, of Russia, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015. Chicago won 106-101. AP
CHICAGO, Illinois—Derrick Rose scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, and the Chicago Bulls beat the Denver Nuggets 106-101 on Thursday night to maintain its stranglehold on the Central division.
Jimmy Butler scored 26 for Chicago, and Pau Gasol added 17 points, nine rebounds and a career-high nine blocks as the Bulls stretched its divisional lead over Cleveland to 4½ games.
The late surge by Rose lifted the Bulls to their 11th win in 13 games. The 2011 NBA MVP missed his first eight shots, including all seven in a scoreless first half, but the point guard dominated down the stretch, coming up with one big basket after another.
Wilson Chandler led Denver with 22 points. Ty Lawson scored 20, while Arron Afflalo had 19 points. Kenneth Faried added 18 points and 19 rebounds, but the Nuggets fell to 4-12 on the road.
Chicago, which trailed by 13 early in the third, was clinging to a 100-97 lead after Denver’s Jusuf Nurkic scored on a layup with 46 seconds left.
Rose then nailed a jumper, and the Bulls hung on after Faried dunked with 22 seconds remaining to get the Nuggets within three again. Chicago’s Aaron Brooks hit two free throws to make it a five-point game before Nurkic hit two of his own after he got fouled trying to dunk on Taj Gibson with 11 seconds left. But Rose then hit two more foul shots to make it 106-101.
The Bulls were trailing 74-70 late in the third quarter when Gasol blocked Nurkic. Butler then got fouled and hit two free throws, sparking a nine-point run.
Kirk Hinrich nailed a 3 from the corner with 16 seconds left, giving the Bulls a three-point lead, and Gasol capped the run with a running hook to make it 79-74.
At Minneapolis, Rudy Gay had 21 points, six rebounds and five assists, and the struggling Sacramento Kings handed the Minnesota Timberwolves their 10th straight loss with a 110-107 victory.
DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and seven rebounds after being ejected one night earlier, and the Kings shot 54 percent while each of their starters scored in double figures. Darren Collison scored 21 points and Derrick Williams had 17 points, including a big 3-pointer down the stretch.
Andrew Wiggins had 27 points and nine rebounds, but the Timberwolves couldn’t take advantage when Cousins and Gay both fouled out in the fourth quarter. Troy Daniels’ 3-point attempt at the buzzer was partially blocked.
Gorgui Dieng added 15 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota.
RELATED STORIES
NBA: LeBron leads voting for All-Star Game starters
NBA: Ginobili sparks Spurs past Pelicans in over-time
