Final
Rose lifts Bulls past Aldridge, Blazers
Dec 13, 2014 - 4:59 AM Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Bulls withstood a LaMarcus Aldridge onslaught in the first quarter, got on a huge run early in the second and then kept the Portland Trail Blazers at bay the rest of the way.Derrick Rose scored a season-high 31 points to go with five assists and the Bulls defeated the Blazers 115-106 on Friday night.
"My goals are still the same, stay healthy, keep stringing them out and win games," Rose said.
Aldridge netted an NBA season-high 21 first-quarter points to help Portland to the early lead, but the Bulls went on a 16-2 surge in the second and never trailed the rest of the way.
Aaron Brooks and Nikola Mirotic deposited 17 and 15 points off the bench, respectively, while Pau Gasol added 13 points, 10 rebounds and four assists for Chicago, which has won three of its last four games.
Aldridge finished with 35 points and nine boards and Damian Lillard supplied a season-high 35 points to go with six helpers and five rebounds for the Blazers, who have dropped consecutive contests on the heels of a five-game winning streak.
After Portland got within 90-87 early in the fourth, a Brooks floater finished off an ensuing 10-2 flurry to give the Bulls a 100-89 lead and they were never seriously threatened again.
Brooks posted 14 points in the period.
"We weren't good enough defensively," Lillard said. "We started off the game well...but they just got it going."
Aldridge began 10-of-11 from the field and his one-footed stepback from the left wing staked Portland to a 28-21 advantage before heading into the second with a 28-24 cushion.
Mirotic, who poured in nine points during the burst to start the second, began it with four straight free throws, and consecutive 3-pointers by Brooks and Mirotic gave the Bulls a 40-30 margin.
Chicago headed into the locker room with a 59-51 spread.
Nicolas Batum jumpstarted a 10-0 Portland swing during the early to middle stages of the third with a jumper and added another one to cap it and pull the Blazers within 67-65.
The Bulls took an 82-78 edge into the final frame.
Game Notes
Dallas' Monta Ellis had the season-high total for a first quarter coming into Friday with 17. Cleveland's LeBron James had 19 points in the first of his game Friday against New Orleans ... This was Rose's first appearance against Portland since suffering his second major knee injury on Nov. 22, 2013 at Portland ... Aldridge had averaged 11 points per game in his last three games against Chicago heading in.
Dec 12 9:26 PM- 79
roots - 73
roots - 88
roots - 106
rootsRUWTbot Added 14 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Trail Blazers 80, Bulls 84 4th - 11:17Dec 12 8:52 PM - 92
rootsRUWTbot Added 6 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Trail Blazers 78, Bulls 84 4th - 11:17Dec 12 8:52 PM - 86
rootsRUWTbot Took away 13 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Trail Blazers 78, Bulls 84 4th - 11:38Dec 12 8:51 PM - PORTLAND: 78
CHICAGO: 82
End of 3rd
Dec 12 8:47 PM - 99
roots - 88
roots - 80
rootsRUWTbot Took away 11 roots (Individual Performance)
Trail Blazers 76, Bulls 82 3rd - 1:35Dec 12 8:44 PM - 91
roots - 83
roots - 74
rootsRUWTbot Took away 8 roots (Individual Performance)
Trail Blazers 73, Bulls 79 3rd - 2:48Dec 12 8:42 PM - 82
roots - 66
rootsRUWTbot Took away 13 roots (Individual Performance)
Trail Blazers 70, Bulls 78 3rd - 3:30Dec 12 8:38 PM - 79
roots - 74
rootsRUWTbot Took away 6 roots (Individual Performance)
Trail Blazers 67, Bulls 74 3rd - 4:53Dec 12 8:36 PM - 80
rootsRUWTbot Took away 6 roots (Individual Performance)
Trail Blazers 67, Bulls 71 3rd - 5:21Dec 12 8:36 PM - 86
roots - 75
roots - 69
roots - 64
roots - PORTLAND: 51
CHICAGO: 59
Halftime
Dec 12 8:06 PM - PORTLAND: 28
CHICAGO: 24
End of 1st
Dec 12 7:34 PM - PORTLAND: 0
CHICAGO: 0
1st Quarter - 11:45
Dec 12 7:10 PM
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