Bulls turn back Spurs

BULLS star Derrick Rose (left) stretches for a layup against Spurs guard Danny Green. AP

CHICAGO—The Chicago Bulls routed the defending champion San Antonio Spurs 104-81 Thursday behind a 22-point performance from Derrick Rose and a double-double from all-star game starter Pau Gasol.

“Huge win for us,” said Gasol, who was named to the 2015 NBA all-star game earlier Thursday. “We definitely needed it. We came out with the right mindset and great energy. Now we have to build on it.”

Rose also chipped in with five assists while Gasol tallied 12 points and 17 rebounds for the first place Bulls who snapped a two game losing streak.

“We wanted to come out and see if we could have that edge,” Rose said. “We really got on each other about coming out the right way in the second half.”

As convincing as the Bulls’ victory was, it was put in the shade by the Los Angeles Clippers 39-point win over a disappointing Brooklyn, while the day’s other games saw Boston and Utah record narrow victories over Portland and Milwaukee respectively.

The Clippers recorded their biggest-ever win over Brooklyn, taking the game, 123-84.

Blake Griffin scored 22 of his 24 points in the first half, when the Clippers led by 33 points, while JJ Redick and Jamal Crawford added 17 points each.

The Clippers put the game away in the first half, when they shot 66 percent and Jordan had already secured his double-double.

Boston’s Evan Turner hit a 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left to give the Celtics a 90-89 win against a Portland team missing LaMarcus Aldridge, who will miss six to eight weeks with a torn thumb ligament.

Utah’s Gordon Hayward scored 13 of his game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter as the Jazz held on for the 101-89 win after the Bucks missed their last five shots.   AFP, AP