Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose is defended by San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green and San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi LeonardDavid Banks
Derrick Rose drove hard to the rim. The defence was at its stifling, suffocating best.
More than anything, the swagger was back and so were the Bulls.
Rose scored 22 points and struggling Chicago beat the San Antonio Spurs 104-81 on Thursday night.
The Bulls came away with a much-needed win after dropping six of eight and handed the defending champions their most lopsided loss of the season.
The Central division leaders broke this one open in the third quarter, outscoring the Spurs 31-20, and snapped San Antonio's four-game win streak.
"It shows what we're capable of doing," All-Star Pau Gasol said.
Rose, who called out his team after Monday's loss at Cleveland, led six Bulls in double figures.
He was aggressive going to the rim, hitting 9 of 16 shots. Rose played just 45 seconds in the fourth quarter because of some stiffness and the lopsided score, but he expects to suit up at Dallas on Friday.
Gasol added 12 points and 17 rebounds after being voted to his fifth All-Star game and first as a starter.
Jimmy Butler scored 17 on just nine shots. Taj Gibson added 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Aaron Brooks scored 15, and the Bulls snapped a three-game home losing streak.
After giving up at least 102 points in six of the previous eight games, Chicago held San Antonio to 37 per cent shooting. The Spurs' Kawhi Leonard scored all of his team-leading 16 points in the first half.
"We just played embarrassing basketball," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I want my money back."
Rose had it going right from the start with 15 points the first half, and Chicago headed to the locker room with a 46-40 lead that was about to get much bigger.
Tony Snell converted a three-point play with 17.3 seconds left in the second quarter to start a 14-2 Bulls run that made it 57-42 early in the third. The Bulls stayed in control the rest of the way, putting aside the chaos for at least one night.
The recent struggles combined with Rose's criticism and a meeting between the players and coach Tom Thibodeau painted an ugly picture for a team that was rolling along before the recent slide.
There is speculation that Thibodeau's job is in jeopardy and that he is losing the locker room. It sure seemed like there was plenty of outside noise even if he shot down that idea, asking, "What noise?"
"As I told you yesterday, I could care less, couldn't care less, and I don't think our team couldn't care less about that stuff," he said.
Popovich dismissed the idea of Thibodeau losing the team before the game and did it again afterward.
"That's baloney," he said. "Nothing could be further from the truth."
JAZZ 101, BUCKS 99
MILWAUKEE – Gordon Hayward scored 13 of his game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter and the Utah Jazz held on for the win as the Bucks missed their last five shots in the closing minute.
The Jazz appeared to be in control after a 15-3 run, taking a 101-92 lead on two free throws by Hayward with 2:35 remaining. But the Bucks pulled within the final score on Jared Dudley's 3-pointer from the top right with 1:29 left.
The Bucks had a final opportunity when an officials review awarded them the ball out of bounds under the basket with 7.1 seconds left. Brandon Knight missed a jumper with two seconds left and Zaza Pachulia missed the tip-in at the buzzer.
CELTICS 90, TRAIL BLAZERS 89
PORTLAND – Evan Turner hit a 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left and the Boston Celtics overcame the shorthanded Portland Trail Blazers.
Avery Bradley had 18 points to lead the Celtics, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Jared Sullinger added 17 points and nine rebounds.
Damian Lillard had 21 points and seven assists to lead the Blazers, who have lost five of their last six as they struggle with injuries to their front line.
The Blazers were hit before the game with the news that three-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge had torn a ligament in his left thumb and would need surgery. The 6-foot-11 power forward is expected to miss from six to eight weeks.
CLIPPERS 123, NETS 84.
LOS ANGELES – Blake Griffin scored 22 of his 24 points in the first half, when the Clippers led by 33 points, and Los Angeles went on to its largest victory ever over the Brooklyn Nets.
J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford added 17 points each, DeAndre Jordan had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Chris Paul had a season-high 17 assists for the Clippers, who have won nine of their last 12 and three in a row.
With Kevin Garnett resting, the Nets were led by Mason Plumlee with 16 points. Darius Morris and Jerome Jordan had 11 points each, and Jordan had 11 rebounds. They have lost nine of 11.
The Clippers put the game away in the first half, when they shot 66 per cent and Jordan had already secured his double-double.