Rose-less Bulls outstrip Magic
ORLANDO, Florida – Even with reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose missing his fourth game in a row with a groin strain, the Chicago Bulls were far too much for the Orlando Magic to handle.
Carlos Boozer scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while John Lucas came off the bench to contribute 20 points, and Britain’s Luol Deng added 14 points to power the Bulls to a record- setting 85- 59 rout of the Magic on Monday night.
The Bulls improved their league-best record to 38-10 and boosted their record without Rose this season to 10-4. Orlando fell to 29-18 while Chicago improved to a league-best 19-6 on the road this season.
“We needed this win,” Lucas said. “It was a good road win for us.”
Despite 18 points and 12 rebounds by Dwight Howard, the Magic scored the fewest points ever against the Bulls in a regular-season game, lowering the old mark of 62 by Milwaukee in 1997 when Michael Jordan sparked Chicago’s defense.
“We’re all about defense,” Lucas said. “We know we have enough firepower.”
And that’s with playmaker Rose watching from the bench and inspiring his teammates before the games. “Derrick comes to us every game and says, ‘It’s time. Let’s go. Just because I ain’t playing doesn’t mean we’re going to lose.’”
Boozer scored 16 points in the first-half and Deng added eight as Chicago took a 48-33 halftime lead and the Magic never threatened in the second half.
Rose suffered the groin injury last Monday in a victory over the New York Knicks when Asian-american sensation Jeremy Lin blocked a first-quarter Rose shot attempt.
“I haven’t been able to run in a couple days, just making sure that my leg is OK and making sure that the pain goes away very quickly,” Rose said. “You don’t want this to linger where I can’t move. Every day it’s definitely getting better, but I haven’t been able to run.”
Rose expects to miss Chicago’s three more games this week and has no idea when he might be back on the court.