Recap: Chicago vs. Indiana
Sports Network | November 15, 2008
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Derrick Rose had 23 points and eight assists, and the Chicago Bulls defeated the Indiana Pacers by a 104-91 margin at United Center.
Andres Nocioni had 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Ben Gordon added 19 points in the win for the Bulls, who finished out their five-game homestand with two wins. Luol Deng posted 17 points, and Larry Hughes scored 12 in the victory.
Six Pacers scored in double figures, led by T.J. Ford with 16 points. Danny Granger posted 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who have dropped two in a row after winning three straight.
Radoslav Nesterovic and Troy Murphy each had a double-double for Indiana, with Nesterovic scoring 12 and grabbing 12 boards, while Murphy had 12 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.
Down eight going into the fourth, the Pacers pulled to within four early after Granger's 18-foot jumper. Ford hit layups on back-to-back possessions within 21 seconds to cut the deficit to two with eight minutes to play.
Hughes and Rose each sank a couple free throws to pad the Bulls' lead to seven, and Gordon hit Rose on a pass that ended up being an easy dunk.
The play gave Chicago a 12-point edge with 4:46 to play, and the Bulls cruised to victory from there.
Gordon paced the Bulls early. The guard had 10 points in the first quarter, and the hosts held a healthy 27-19 lead after the opening period.
The Pacers took a 41-40 lead with five minutes before halftime, but the Bulls scored the last five points of the quarter and held a 55-47 edge at the break.
Indiana went on a 10-0 run to begin the third quarter, taking a 57-55 lead early in the period. But the Bulls closed on a 12-6 burst, and Chicago took an eight-point lead into the final frame.
Chicago has won four of the past six meetings...The Bulls went 25-of-27 from the free throw line, while Indiana went 17-for-21...The Pacers lost despite outrebounding Chicago, 59-48.
