Pacers Slow Down Stampeding Bulls, Win 95-90

I didn’t really see it coming, but perhaps I should have. The Pacers entered the game just 3.5 games behind Chicago in the Central Division, and have quietly been having a strong season. The Bulls have been hit with the injury bug, but have survived pretty well against weaker teams. Wednesday night would be their first test in a while, against a team that gave them a good fight in the first round of the playoffs last year.

Danny Granger had 22 points and 9 rebounds, and Roy Hibbert had 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks as the Pacers rallied in the second half to beat the Bulls. Down by 10 at halftime, they erased their deficit in the third quarter, and then held off the Bulls at the end to win by a final score of 95-90.

The Pacers jumped out to an early lead, forcing a Bulls timeout, up 10-5. Derrick Rose had a strong drive to start the game, but ended up so wide open that he left the layup short off the rim. It was a good sign though that his toe hasn’t seemed to bother him. Rose finished the quarter strong, scoring the Bulls’ final 12 points.

The Bench Mob took over in the second quarter. It was a back-and-forth game until Ronnie Brewer caught fire. His confidence has been sky high this season, and with good reason, as he’s been playing at a high level. His presence has been huge with Luol Deng missing games. Brewer scored 14 points in the quarter, as the Bulls took a 10 point halftime lead, 54-44. Brewer’s halftime stat-line read 19 minutes, 16 points, 7/9 shooting, and 3 steals. The pacers shot 50%, the Bulls 51.2. The difference was in fast-break points, which the Bulls led 14-4.

In the 3rd quarter, the Bulls came out flat and the Pacers quickly made a comeback. An 11-3 run cut the Bulls’ lead to 2, and forced them to call timeout. The Bulls remained cold and the Pacers eventually took their first lead of the 2nd half at 70-69. They ended the quarter up 75-74, erasing their 10 point halftime deficit.

In the fourth quarter, the Bulls never got closer than 2 points. The Pacers cooled off a bit but were still able to keep the Bulls at bay. The last 30 seconds looked more like a football game, when a loose ball bounced around and bodies lunged all over the floor after it. The ball eventually bounced the Pacers way for an easy, wide-open dunk that put them up 94-90 and was the nail in the coffin. Scalabrine missed an open look at a 3, and Noah turned the ball over on the Bulls’ last 2 possessions. It was a disappointing end after a good finish, as the Bulls fell to 8-1 at home; the last undefeated home team. The Pacers are now just 2.5 games back in the division, although the Bulls still have the best record overall. The Bulls will look to rebound Friday night when they host the Milwaukee Bucks.

Box Score Notes:
Derrick Rose finished with 24 points; Ronnie Brewer had 20 and 10 rebounds. Joakim Noah also had a double-double, with 10 points and 13 rebounds. After a slow start to the season, Noah has picked up his game of late.


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