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Rose's triple-double lead Bulls over Grizzlies

Most observers figured it was simply a matter of time, but earlier this season Derrick Rose predicted he would never record a triple-double.

Keep in mind, this is the same guy who stated a desire to be the NBA's most valuable player on the eve of training camp, so it's questionable whether Rose truly believed it would never happen or if he was just being his humble self.

Either way, the wait is over. Rose went back to his college home and produced 22 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. The Bulls celebrated coach Tom Thibodeau's 53rd birthday with an impressive 96-84 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum.

“It feels the same,” Rose told reporters after the game. “A win is a win, no matter how my stats are. I'm just happy we got the win, without some of the key players on our team.”

This was an impressive effort for the Bulls (28-13) because power forward Carlos Boozer stayed in Chicago to rest a sprained left ankle. He's doubtful for Tuesday night's home game against Charlotte.

Memphis is no slouch on its home court, going 12-6 before this loss.

“We came out with an edge,” Rose said. “We just wanted to come out and let them know it was going to be a tough game. We were just playing together and playing defense.”

As the clock wound down, Rose still was 1 rebound short of completing the triple-double before receiving a timely assist from veteran center Kurt Thomas.

After Taj Gibson missed the last shot of the game, Thomas reached up and batted the rebound right into Rose's chest for an easy No. 10. Mission accomplished.

Rose was far from the only star in this game. Luol Deng stepped up in Boozer's absence to score a game-high 28 points. Deng dominated a matchup with the Grizzlies' Rudy Gay, who had his left wrist wrapped in heating pads during halftime.

Deng knocked down 11 of 17 shots, compared to Gay's 1-for-10. Power forward Zach Randolph led Memphis with 21 points.

Kyle Korver, meanwhile, carried the momentum of his game-winning basket against Miami down to Memphis. Korver drained his first 4 shots from 3-point range and finished 6-for-10, scoring 22 points.

Before draining the 3-pointer with 25.5 seconds left against the Heat on Saturday, Korver had missed 10 of his previous 11 attempts from behind the arc and was 9-for-36 (25 percent) since Dec. 26.

“I felt good the last week or so shooting the ball in practice, just haven't gotten good looks in the games,” Korver said. “Sometimes you just have to see the ball go in.”

Korver scored 8 points in a 10-0 run that lifted the Bulls to a 38-21 lead with 6:50 left in the second quarter. Memphis (19-22) closed within single digits a few times, but the Bulls stayed in control throughout.

The Bulls reached the halfway point of the season on pace to win 56 games.

“They played like this was a playoff game,” Grizzlies guard Mike Conley said. “They played harder than we did. They had more effort. They were knocking down open shots and making extra passes.”

Bulls game day

Mike McGraw's game tracker

Bulls 96, Grizzlies 84

<B>All-business trip: </B>The Bulls were focused from the opening tip, holding Memphis to 23.8 percent shooting in the first quarter. They opened a 26-17 lead and stayed in control all the way.

<B>Record for Rose:</B> After predicting earlier this season it would never be done, Derrick Rose collected his first career triple-double with 22 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

<B>Depth of shooting:</B> Power forward Carlos Boozer stayed home with a sprained ankle, so Luol Deng stepped up for a game-high 28 points. Kyle Korver rode the momentum of his game-winning shot against Miami to knock down 6 of 10 shots from 3-point range.