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Rose, Bulls control Magic

Mar 5, 2011 - 6:50 AM Orlando, FL (Sports Network) - Derrick Rose finished with 24 points and the Chicago Bulls pulled out an 89-81 victory over the Orlando Magic at Amway Center.

Chicago used a dominant second quarter to gain control, then maintained its lead in the second half to beat the Magic, who were coming off Thursday's win against the Miami Heat.

Orlando recorded that victory after controlling the second half and making 16 three-pointers, but didn't have the kind of wholesale shooting success it needed to overcome its deficit Friday.

"What it really comes down to is executing down the stretch on both ends," said Magic center Dwight Howard, who might be up for a one-game suspension if his 16th technical foul of the season is upheld by the league.

Bulls reserve center Omer Asik did a remarkable job battling Howard in the paint. While the rookie from Turkey got into foul trouble, he helped Joakim Noah limit Howard's offensive opportunities and pulled down 13 rebounds -- including five offensive boards.

Howard finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, but made just four of his 12 free throw attempts. He dealt with double-teams and pressure down low the entire game, and didn't receive much rebounding help as the Bulls attacked the boards as a group.

Carlos Boozer collected nine rebounds to go with 12 points, while Noah had seven boards. Chicago ended up with a 50-30 rebounding advantage, which led to a 23-6 margin in second-chance points and its fourth win in five games.

"I think we're gelling together pretty well," said Chicago's Kyle Korver.

The Magic began the game as they ended Thursday's, with Jason Richardson draining three-pointers. Richardson sank six in the victory against the Heat and opened Friday's contest with another.

He followed that with a jumper, and drove for a fastbreak layup midway through the first quarter for a 15-7 lead.

Chicago called a timeout to regroup and started to come back with a pair of Luol Deng layups. The Bulls then ended the quarter with three consecutive baskets -- two from Rose -- to force a 21-21 tie.

The Bulls took control in the middle of the second quarter with a 14-0 run. C.J. Watson ended the surge with back-to-back three-pointers, extending Chicago's lead to 40-27 with 4:31 to play.

The quarter got worse for the Magic with 1:41 remaining, when Howard picked up his technical foul. He was fouled under the basket and hacked at after the whistle blew, and in apparent frustration, Howard swung the ball in the direction of Korver's face.

Korver made the technical free throw while Howard missed both of his foul shots, which typified the quarter for Orlando. Howard went 0-for-4 from the line in the period, while the Magic missed all seven of their three-point attempts and faced a 49-35 deficit at the half's end.

Orlando chipped away at its deficit in the third quarter and pulled within 57-50 on a three by J.J. Redick with 3:33 left. It was a rare contribution from the Magic bench, which scored only 13 points and shot 3-of-20.

Redick's shot seemed to breathe some life into Orlando, but Chicago worked the glass to deny the Magic a chance to cut their deficit further. The Bulls missed two shots on their ensuing possession before Asik threw in a put- back dunk.

Several minutes later, Ryan Anderson canned a three to pull the Magic within 59-54. But they missed their next three shots, allowing the Bulls to score six consecutive points.

Chicago carried a 65-57 lead into the fourth, and while the Magic stayed relatively close in the final quarter, they never got the comeback spark.

They were within 75-67 before Korver drilled a three-pointer with 4:17 remaining, and he connected on two more down the stretch to help secure the Bulls' victory.

Game Notes

Chicago has won two of the three matchups so far this season. The teams play again on April 10...Deng had 16 points and six rebounds. Korver ended with 10 points...Brandon Bass and Richardson both finished with 16 points for Orlando, while Jameer Nelson had 14 points and six assists...Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu suffered a right elbow sprain in the first quarter, but returned to the game and finished with two points on 1-of-5 shooting.