Sports Network | December 11, 2010
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) – Derrick Rose scored 21 points, Luol Deng had 19 and the streaking Chicago Bulls led by as many as 34 on the way to a 113-82 rout of Minnesota.
Carlos Boozer added 17 points, while Taj Gibson and Kyle Korver both scored 12 to help the Bulls to their fifth straight win.
The Timberwolves fell to 1-12 on the road this season and lost for the ninth time in their last 11 games overall.
They were led by Kevin Love’s 23 points and 15 rebounds — both game-highs — and 16 points from Michael Beasley.
Minnesota’s final lead was 4-2 early in the first quarter. Rose helped the Bulls take control, scoring eight points in the frame, including a jumper that capped a 12-4 run and give them an 11-point lead at 21-10.
The Bulls carried a 27-18 advantage into the second quarter and led by as many as 26 points before halftime on the way to a 58-37 advantage at the break.
Love led all players with 15 points in the first half, but his team shot just 36 percent from the field. Boozer scored 13 in the half, Rose had 12 and the Bulls shot 46 percent.
Minnesota scored the first five points of the third quarter, trimming its deficit to 16, and got as close as 14 in the first three minutes. But an 8-0 run capped by one of Rose’s five three-pointers gave Chicago a 22-point lead at 68-46.
The Bulls carried that 22-point lead into the fourth, beginning the final quarter ahead 87-65. The advantage never dipped below 20 in the last 12 minutes and it reached as high as 34 on a Kurt Thomas jumper in the last two minutes.
Chicago has also beaten the Rockets, Thunder, Cavaliers and Lakers on its current five-game win streak. It will wrap up a three-game homestand against Indiana on Monday.
Chicago shot 47.7 percent for the game and was 10-for-17 from three-point range behind Rose’s 5-for-6 performance…Minnesota shot 39.8 percent…Bulls center Joakim Noah had a season-high six blocks…The Timberwolves began a six-game road trip that will also include contests against the Warriors, Suns, Blazers, Nuggets and Clippers.