Bulls get win over Raptors without Rose

TORONTO -- The Chicago Bulls were without star guard Derrick Rose on Friday but it turned out to be no problem.

The Bulls took charge of the game early and went on to defeat the Toronto Raptors 96-80 to extend their winning streak to three games.

"You have to work hard every day as a team and when that happens good things will happen," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We need everybody, we're shorthanded. Our bench play was huge for us."

Forward Luol Deng had 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the Bulls who overcame a season-best 37 points by Toronto guard DeMar DeRozan, who equaled his career high.

"The whole team was upset and frustrated because we had a good week and topped it off with a game like tonight," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.

Center Joakim Noah added 18 points and nine rebounds for the Bulls and forward Carlos Boozer had 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Guard Jimmy Butler also scored 14 points and had seven rebounds for Chicago and guard Kirk Hinrich added 12.

"Carlos was terrific," Thibodeau said. "I thought the defense overall was excellent."

Forward Rudy Gay added 20 points and nine rebounds for Toronto. Center Jonas Valanciunas contributed eight rebounds and four points. Guard Kyle Lowry and forward Tyler Hansbrough had six points each for Toronto and Lowry added eight assists.

"They got hot," Boozer said. "DeRozan got hot late, hit some tough shots. Rudy hit a couple of tough shots too. I thought our defense was great. It was a good road win for us."

DeRozan scored 28 points in the second half.

"I just tried to get it started," DeRozan said. "Somebody had to try to do something so I just tried to come out and give energy."

The Raptors (4-6), who have lost five of their past seven, were never in the game.

"They're a good defensive team so we've got to find counters and different ways to try to get to the basket," DeRozan said.

Toronto trailed by 20 entering the fourth quarter, but a 3-pointer by DeRozan cut the lead to 15 with 9:52 to play. Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy promptly answered with a 3-pointer.

Chicago (4-3) began the second half with a 14-point lead but boosted the margin to 20 on Deng's 3-pointer with 8:24 to play in the third quarter. When Butler hit a 3-pointer with 6:57 to play in the quarter, the Bulls led 60-35.

The lead reached as many as 27 points during the quarter, but two 3-pointers by DeRozan cut the deficit to 74-54.

Boozer said it is different playing without Rose.

"We kind of have the same philosophy but our transition's a little slower," Boozer said. "It's different without him in there. We set screens, we cut, we pass the ball, we move around and do a couple of things differently. But for the most part we still hang our hat on our defense and rebounding."

Chicago opened up a 19-point lead with 6:33 left in the second quarter after forward-center Taj Gibson scored on a dunk and a jump shot. The Bulls took a 45-31 lead into the intermission after Hinrich hit one of two free throws to end the half.

Noah had 10 points at the half to lead the Bulls, who shot 44.2 percent from the floor. The Raptors shot 25.6 percent from the floor and were led by Gay and DeRozan with nine points each.

The Bulls led 27-16 after the first quarter as Deng scored nine points and Boozer had eight points and five assists.

NOTES: Bulls G Derrick Rose (right hamstring), who has averaged 20 points and eight rebounds in 20 career games against the Raptors, did not play in Friday night's game, but coach Tom Thibodeau held out hope that Rose could play Saturday against the Indiana Pacers at the United Center. "He's improved, but he's still not quite there," Thibodeau said. ... The Raptors will play six of their next seven games at Air Canada Centre after opening the season playing six of nine on the road. ... Raptors F Steve Novak, who was inactive for six of the first nine games of the season, including the two previous games, was in the lineup on Friday night. ... F Carlos Boozer led the Bulls in scoring in all three games against the Raptors last season, averaging 24.7 points and 11.7 rebounds, but Chicago lost two of the three meetings.