Derrick Rose leads Bulls’ furious fourth-quarter rally
By Neil Hayes nhayes@suntimes.com January 3, 2012 10:01PM
Chicago Bulls Vs Atlanta Hawks 2nd Half-Action. Chicago Bulls No.9 Luol Deng keeps an eye on his game winning basket as the Chicago Bulls came from behind victory over the Atlanta Hawks 76-74 January 18, 2012 I Scott Stewart~Sun-Times
TONIGHT
BULLS
AT PISTONS
The facts: 6:30, CSN, 1000-AM.
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Updated: May 9, 2012 10:09AM
As the Bulls celebrated with fans at the United Center after their miraculous comeback, Atlanta Hawks players walked off the court, stunned by the unlikely events that just unfolded.
The Bulls’ fabulous fourth quarter made up for a wretched first three as Derrick Rose scored 17 fourth-quarter points to lead his team back from a 19-point deficit to an improbable 76-74 victory that left a sellout United Center crowd that snoozed through the first three quarters breathless in the end.
“Sometimes things happen,” Rose said. “I have to take over sometimes. Thank God my shots were falling.”
Rose made only 3 of 11 shots through three quarters but would either score or assist on the Bulls’ next 21 points. He took the ball to the hoop. He got himself to the line. He made three-pointers. He drove hard to the hoop and found Luol Deng for a wide-open three that tied the game with 6:20 left as the Bulls scored 34 points in the fourth quarter after totalling 42 in the first three.
“Derrick was sensational down the stretch,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “He made big play after big play.”
Deng scored seven straight points, and Rose added a clutch one-hander over 6-9 Josh Smith with 9.9 seconds left to give the Bulls a one-point lead. The Hawks missed 3 of 4 free throws down the stretch, but the one Al Horford made knotted the score again, setting up Joakim Noah’s backdoor pass to Deng for the lay-in with 3.3 seconds left.
The inbounds play was designed to get the ball to Rose, but Noah, who came in cold after sitting out much of the second half, made a perfect read to set up the game-winner.
“I know Derrick really wanted the ball in that situation, but both defenders were focused on him, and I just threw the ball to Lu, and he laid it up,” Noah said.
Rose finished with 30 points and seven assists, while Deng contributed 21 points and eight rebounds. Omer Asik came off the bench to provide valuable defense and rebounding.
If you hadn’t looked at a schedule, you would’ve sworn the Bulls were the team that was playing back-to-back games. If you had not seen these same two teams meet in the playoffs, you would’ve bet the Hawks had advanced to the Eastern Conference finals and the Bulls had been eliminated after watching the first three quarters.
Expect to see some wacky things this season. This game was a prime example. This was about as tough of a back-to-back as it gets for the Hawks, who handed the Miami Heat its first loss on Monday night and didn’t arrive in Chicago until 3 a.m.
They had more energy, confidence and intensity early, especially on the defensive end. The Bulls shot 2-for-21 in the second quarter, went more than five minutes without scoring and finished the quarter with 11 total points. Their 26 points in the first half were only three more than their all-time low, set against the Heat in 1999.
“In the first half we were backward,” Thibodeau said. “We were shooting when we should have been passing and passing when we should have been shooting.”
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