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Bulls, without Rose again, get by Bobcats

Jan 22, 2012 - 6:29 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Carlos Boozer finished with 23 points and nine rebounds, Luol Deng added 22 points and eight boards, and the Bulls held on for a 95-89 victory against the Bobcats.

Again playing without reigning MVP Derrick Rose, who has missed the last four games with a nagging toe injury, the Bulls stayed perfect at home and won their third consecutive contest.

Richard Hamilton helped fill the void at guard with 20 points, while C.J. Watson had 11 points and nine assists.

"My job is not just to score," Hamilton said. "We have a lot of scorers on this team. I'm just trying to make everybody's job easier."

Gerald Henderson had 22 points and nine rebounds for Charlotte, which has dropped three in a row and nine of 10.

"Somehow we just didn't have the right attitude tonight," Bobcats coach Paul Silas said. "It just puzzled me because we had three days off. I thought would come out with a lot of energy and intensity tonight, but we just didn't have it."

The Bobcats faced a 91-72 deficit with 6:49 to play, when Deng connected on a jumper to end an 11-1 burst.

But the Bulls missed their next five shots and turned the ball over once, and Charlotte used the opportunity to trim its deficit. Eduardo Najera's hook shot with 3:12 to play ended the 10-point run and had the Bobcats within nine.

However, Hamilton's jumper prevented Charlotte from getting closer, and the Bulls led by at least eight until Matt Carroll connected on a three-pointer with 10 seconds to go.

The Bulls were up 27-23 after one quarter, though the lead changed hands 10 times in the second. Chicago scored six of the final seven points of the half and carried a 50-43 advantage into the break.

It never gave up the lead in the third, thanks to 15 points from Boozer and 10 from Hamilton. Their scoring output helped Chicago build an 80-69 lead heading into the fourth.

Game Notes

Byron Mullens scored 17 points for the Bobcats, who held a 44-37 rebounding edge...Charlotte committed 16 turnovers, leading to 18 Bulls points...Chicago made only 9-of-15 free throws...The teams split last season's four-game series.