NBA: Pacers pound Derrick Rose-less Bulls

Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose looks up at the scoreboard during a timeout in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014, in Chicago. The Indiana Pacers won 99-90. AP

CHICAGO — Solomon Hill tallied 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 99-90 win over the Chicago Bulls, who were once again without injury-plagued star Derrick Rose.

AJ Price came off the bench to score 21 points while Luis Scola finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers, who have won three of their last four National Basketball Association games on the heels of a six-game losing streak.

“We’ve got some tough-minded guys in there,” said Pacers coach Frank Vogel. “To get wins in Miami and Chicago, I couldn’t be more proud of our guys.”

Jimmy Butler tallied 30 points and six rebounds for Chicago, whose brief two-game winning streak snapped in front of the 22.248-strong crowd at United Center arena.

Rose missed the game after tweaking his hamstring during Thursday’s win in Toronto. He has missed five contests of the young season so far due to ankle and hamstring issues.

But the Bulls could have used Rose, who has expressed a desire take more time off during the regular season.

Rose has drawn criticism from former players like Charles Barkley who said playing through aches and pains is part of being a multi-millionaire NBA player.

“There are people that work harder than Derrick Rose that go home to a shack,” Barkley said.

“Derrick Rose is making $20 million dollars a year … there are pros and cons of what we do for a living.”

Chicago dropped to 3-2 without Rose in the lineup this season.

The Pacers led 23-20 heading into the second quarter and 46-42 at halftime.

Pau Gasol hit two free throws to cut the Pacers lead to two, 67-65, late in the third, before the Pacers went on an 8-0 surge that stretched into the fourth quarter.

Hill’s layup gave Indiana a 69-65 lead heading into the final frame, and he hit another from beyond the arc to start the fourth. Price’s three-pointer capped it and increased the lead to 75-65.

An Aaron Brooks field goal and a pair of free throws from Butler got Chicago back to within 77-71 with just over nine minutes in regulation. But Indiana responded by ripping off 11 consecutive points to help ice the contest.

Price netted seven points and hit two triples during the run, including one to finish it off and give the Pacers a 17-point lead.

Indiana cruised the rest of the way.

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