Bulls 93, Celtics 86
CHICAGO - Talk that Bulls guard Derrick Rose would return to the court on Thursday against Boston turned out to be false. But Chicago still managed to reverse its first two-game losing streak in more than a year.
The Bulls rode the hot hand of forward Luol Deng in the second half to turn an 11-point deficit into a 93-86 victory at the United Center.
Deng scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter. Celtics forward Paul Pierce, meanwhile, tallied just 4 of his 22 points after halftime. Boston guard Rajon Rondo dished out 12 assists, extending his streak of double-figure assist games to 15.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau suggested Wednesday there was a chance Rose would be healthy enough to face the Celtics. Instead, Rose sat for the 12th straight game because of a groin injury.
About an hour before tipoff, Rose walked gingerly into the locker room with a thick ice pack taped to his right thigh and admitted he wasn't ready to go yet.
"You're cautious because of where you are in the season," Thibodeau said before the game. "(Rose) has to be healthy. We're not going to rush him back just to have him back. He's got to be healthy."
At Thursday's shootaround at the Berto Center, Rose said if he didn't play against Boston, he would return "for sure" on Sunday at New York.
"We'll see. We're optimistic," Thibodeau said. "We're hopeful. If that's the case, then that's the case. We just want to make sure. Hopefully, he'll be fully recovered (when he returns). We're not going to take any chances with him."
Heading into this contest, Boston rode its defense to record 15 victories in its previous 21 games. The first half was more of the same as the Bulls shot just 34.3 percent from the field and fell behind 49-38.
When the third quarter began, the Bulls brought a better sense of urgency. They scored the first six points of the second half and eventually took the lead when point guard C.J. Watson knocked down consecutive 3-point baskets. Watson shot just 21.9 percent from the field in the previous four games.
Deng blocked a shot by Pierce, then was fouled on the ensuing fast break and hit two free throws to give the home team a 67-66 edge after three quarters. The Bulls slowly built a lead in the fourth, going ahead 87-79 with 3:10 remaining after Deng scored three straight baskets.
Notes: The Bulls signed veteran guard Mike James on Thursday for the remainder of the season. James, 36, played in eight games during three previous stints with the Bulls this year. ... Boston coach Doc Rivers said before the game he feels NBA coach of the year is a two-man race between the Bulls' Tom Thibodeau and San Antonio's Gregg Popovich. ... Celtics guard Ray Allen came off the bench Thursday for just the fifth time in 1,145 career regular season games. It was the first time Allen didn't start since the 2002-03 season when he played for Milwaukee. Rivers used Avery Bradley as the starting two guard.
