Bulls improve to 9-3 on the road
NEW YORK - Jimmy Butler had 26 points and Pau Gasol had 25 points and 13 rebounds, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 102-84 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
Rookie Bojan Bogdanovic led the Nets with 13 points and reserve Jarret Jack added 12.
Derrick Rose had 14 points and reserve Nikola Mirotic chipped in 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls, who capped a seven-game, 14-day road trip with their second straight win and finished 4-3 overall. Chicago's United Center had been reserved for the annual circus show, forcing the Bulls on the road.
The Bulls, who improved to 9-3 on the road this season, led 47-42 at beginning of the third quarter. After Brooklyn's Kevin Garnett hit a five-foot bank jumper that made it 48-46, Gasol ignited a 17-4 run by scoring six of his eight points during the spurt to make it 56-46 with 8:13 left in the quarter.
A turnover by Deron Williams led Rose to connect with Butler for an alley oop that made it 58-48. After Williams' basket, Butler hit a turnaround jumper that extended the lead. Rose followed that with a 3-pointer and Gasol capped the run by beating the Nets players' for a loose ball and making a layup, extending the lead, 65-50 with 5:11 left.
TIP-INS
Bulls: Gibson missed his fourth straight game due to a sprained left ankle. The Brooklyn native last played Nov. 21 at Portland.
Nets: Garnett's tied Jason Kidd for sixth place in NBA history with 1,391 games played.
UP NEXT
Bulls: Return home to face the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
Nets: Will cross over to Manhattan and visit the New York Knicks for the first time this season.