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Rose leads Bulls past Raptors

Jan 15, 2012 - 4:38 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Derrick Rose scored a game-high 18 points and added 11 assists as the Chicago Bulls pulled away in the second half to take a 77-64 win over the Toronto Raptors at United Center.

Carlos Boozer recorded 17 points and 13 rebounds, while Taj Gibson dropped in 11 points with 12 boards for the Bulls, who improved to 5-0 at home this season and a league-leading 11-2 record overall.

"We put in a lot of work to get to where we are and we're excited to have the record, but at the same time we feel like we can do better," Bulls forward Joakim Noah said. "We're not satisfied with a record in January. We want more."

DeMar DeRozan and Leandro Barbosa each netted 15 for Toronto, which dropped its sixth game in seven tries.

The Raptors were playing their second straight game without leading scorer Andrea Bargnani (strained left calf).

The game entered the third quarter knotted at 37 points apiece and it remained a one-possession game through the first five minutes of the second half.

But after Amir Johnson's layup tied the game at 46 with less than seven minutes left in the third, Chicago reeled off a 9-2 run and held a 56-52 advantage after three quarters.

That offensive surge continued into the fourth quarter as the Bulls recorded the first three baskets of the final frame, all assisted by Rose, to stretch their lead to double digits.

Toronto would only get as close as seven for the remainder of the contest as the Bulls slowly pulled away down the stretch, holding at least an 11-point lead over the final seven minutes of the game.

"We are still not where we need to be," Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said. "It's a work in progress."

Chicago went 8-for-20 from the floor in the fourth, including a 3-for-4 mark from beyond the arc, while holding the Raptors to a 5-for-19 performance.

The Bulls held a 23-14 lead after the first, shooting 55 percent in the frame, but Toronto answered with a 23-14 second and 47.8 percent quarter to tie the game at 37 heading into the break.

Game Notes

The Bulls haven't started a season 5-0 at home since opening the 1996 season 7-0...Dating back to last season, Chicago has won 31 of its last 33 games as the host...Toronto fell to 2-5 on the road this year...Johnson finished with six points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors.