Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Guest Opinion: Wealth gap: why it's widening, what we can do ... Kate Brown confirms she'll run for Oregon governor ... Police: White City man charged for shooting dog that bit him ... Guest Opinion: Wealth gap: why it's widening, what we can do ... Kate Brown confirms she'll run for Oregon governor ... Police: White City man charged for shooting dog that bit him ... NBA Rose is a thorn to Trail Blazers, scores 31 Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Dec. 13, 2014 at 2:00 AM By The Associated Press Posted Dec. 13, 2014 at 2:00 AM » Social News CHICAGO — Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has insisted that Derrick Rose would eventually return to playing the way he was before knee injuries wrecked his previous two seasons. On Friday, Rose looked like he is going to prove his coach right. Rose scored a season-high 31 points, and the Bulls overcame big nights from Portland's two All-Stars to beat the Trail Blazers 115-106. Rose went past his previous high of 24 points and scored over 30 for the first time since March 12, 2012. He was 14 of 24 from the floor for the Bulls, who have won three of four and improved to 4-5 at the United Center. For Rose, it was his second consecutive encouraging performance after scoring 23 during Chicago's win over Brooklyn on Wednesday. And like that game, Rose's aggression level resembled where it was before his injuries. "Every game I'm getting more and more comfortable with it," Rose said. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 21 of his 35 points in the first quarter, his 10 field goals in the period matching a Trail Blazers record set by Darius Miles in 2005. But he was held to two points in the final quarter. Damian Lillard also had a season-high 35, making seven 3-pointers and scoring 18 in the fourth. That gave Portland two teammates with at least 35 for the first time since 1988, but not a victory. "The bottom line is we didn't play well enough to win the game," Lillard said. Portland had won seven straight before losing 90-82 in Minnesota. The Blazers were held to their fewest points of the season and had their worst shooting night (.388) in that one, but went 43 of 88 from the field in Chicago. "It is disappointing to waste a good shooting night like this," Portland coach Terry Stotts said. Chicago broke a seven-game skid against Portland. The Bulls were without center Joakim Noah and forward Doug McDermott. Noah sat his second straight game with a sprained right ankle, and McDermott was absent for the fifth consecutive time due to a right knee problem that will require arthroscopic surgery Saturday. Pau Gasol had 13 points and 10 rebounds for his eighth straight double-double and 14th of the season. Rookie Nikola Mirotic had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Aaron Brooks scored 17 points for the Bulls, who only committed seven turnovers, outrebounded the Blazers 47-37 and had a 40-15 advantage in bench points. "Overall I was very pleased," Thibodeau said. Rose may have been, but his bigger concern was continuing his progress. "The next time we play it could be something different," Rose said, "so this performance is already behind me." TIP-INS Trail Blazers: Portland recorded 20 assists, running its streak of at least 20 to 23 games to start the season. ... Portland couldn't improve to 11-0 against the Eastern Conference, failing to tie a team record set last season for most consecutive wins against the East to start a season. Bulls: Swingman Mike Dunleavy was inadvertently elbowed in the nose by Nicolas Batum in the first quarter but returned soon after. ... The Bulls ran their streak of 100 or more points to eight games, their longest since an eight-game span from March 26-April 11, 2009. THANKS, PRESIDENT OBAMA During a Friday interview on ESPN Radio, President Barack Obama said he likes Thibodeau and that the Bulls could beat the Cleveland Cavaliers if Rose plays at an All-Star level. Thibodeau somewhat brushed off the comment about Cleveland but said "we have a lot of respect for all (Obama's) done and we certainly appreciate his support. It's great for our team." NOTHING FREE Lillard credited Chicago for being a more aggressive team, as the Bulls scored 14 more points on 17 more free throw attempts. "I think teams are being more assertive than us," Lillard said. "The whistle kind of goes in favor of that and it wasn't on our side." UP NEXT Trail Blazers: Visit Indiana on Saturday. Bulls: Visit Miami on Sunday. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Dec. 13, 2014 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501