USA – Rose’s big fourth quarter sees Bulls extend winning streak

HOUSTON (NBA) – Derrick Rose scored 17 of his game-high 33 points in the fourth quarter as the Chicago Bulls rallied to beat the Houston Rockets 95-92 and extend their winning streak to four.

Rose, who helped the USA to a gold medal at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey this past summer, sat for the last 5:30 of the third quarter after picking up his fourth foul.

The hometown Rockets made the most of it by outscoring the Bulls 30-14 in the period and turn a 49-41 halftime deficit into a 71-63 lead heading into the final frame.

However, the 2009 Rookie of the Year then returned to spearhead an 18-0 run for the visitors. Surprisingly, he didn’t do so with his breathtaking drives to the basket, but instead with his outside shooting, as he buried two three-pointers in the spurt. He finished 4 of 5 from distance on the night.

“I knew I had to sit out and I was just hoping we could keep it close,” Rose said afterwards. “That’s when they put me back in the game and I guess I did what I was supposed to do.”

Chicago’s comeback was helped by Houston’s sloppy play as they turned the ball over four times and clanged six three-point attempts in the first four minutes of the final frame.

With Yao Ming missing his third straight game due to a sprained ankle, Rose got into the lane and either finished at the rim or fed his team-mates for easy baskets.

The Bulls iced the game by making six of eight free-throws in the final minute.

Luol Deng added 16 points and 10 rebounds in the winning cause and Joakim Noah had 12 points and nine boards.

Luis Scola paced Houston with 27 points.

Meanwhile, the reigning champions Los Angeles Lakers ended a two-game losing streak with a 118-107 away win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

After losing at Denver to the Nuggets and at home to the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers got back on the right track as they opened a three-game road trip.

2008 Olympic Games gold medallist Kobe Bryant had 31 points, Spain centre Pau Gasol added 18 points and 10 rebounds and Shannon Brown came off the bench to contribute 21 points – 16 of them in the final quarter – in the winning cause.

Brandon Jennings, last season’s Rookie of the Year, had 31 points for the home team and Australia’s Andrew Bogut contributed a dozen points and 18 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Bucks saw their three-game winning streak snapped.

Elsewhere, Bryant’s Olympic team-mate Carmelo Anthony had 26 points and nine rebounds to lead the Nuggets past Amar’e Stoudemire’s New York Knicks 120-118 and hand the visitors their sixth loss in a row.

In Washington, Gilbert Arenas had 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists in his first start of the season as the Wizards defeated the Toronto Raptors 109-94.

Arenas got the start in place of 2010 NBA Draft No 1 pick John Wall who sat out with a strained left foot.

Other results (home team first): Cleveland Cavaliers 101 Philadelphia 76ers 93; Indiana Pacers 92 Atlanta Hawks 102; Memphis Grizzlies 99 Portland Trailblazers 100.

FIBA