Derrick Rose had a career-high 42 points and the Chicago Bulls headed into the All-Star break with an impressive 109-99 victory over the NBA-leading San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night at Chicago.
Luol Deng had 19 points and Carlos Boozer finished with 15 for Chicago, which shot 54% in its fourth consecutive win. The Bulls improved to 38-16 after winning 41 games last season.
Once again hearing "M-V-P! M-V-P!" chants, Rose was at his best when San Antonio challenged Chicago in the fourth quarter. He had 13 points in the final period, repeatedly answering Spurs baskets with acrobatic drives and long jumpers.