Subs deliver as Bulls subdue Bucks

For once, Derrick Rose's poor shooting could take a back seat and be deemed inconsequential.

The biggest story from the Bulls' 87-71 victory over Milwaukee on Monday night at the United Center was the continued resurgence of Tony Snell.

Snell hit 20 points for the third time in the last five games. In his first 118 games with the Bulls, Snell scored 20 points once. The difference, he said after the game, is all about getting comfortable.

"I wasn't relaxed at all (earlier in the season)," Snell said in the locker room. "I was more nervous and just not relaxing and not letting the game come to me. I just tried to rush things. As time goes on and I get more game experience, I'll just relax more and try to play the game.

"In-game experience is definitely different from practice. If you have in-game experience, it helps you out a lot."

Monday was another one of those games when Snell shot lights out from long range. He did most of his damage in the first half but went 7-for-11 overall and 4-for-6 from 3-point range.

And it sounds as though Snell can go ahead and relax about future playing time.

"Tony's playing well," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "You base it all on performance, so as long as he's playing well, he's going to keep playing. He's playing very good basketball. You don't have to worry about Tony being in the rotation."

In the two games before the all-star break, Snell scored a combined 46 points while shooting 82 percent from the field. He didn't get many opportunities in the first two games after the break, taking just 7 shots total.

On Monday, the Bulls played without Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson due to illnesses, which opened the door not only for Snell but rookie forward Nikola Mirotic, who finished with 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

Another factor might have been the last time the Bulls faced Milwaukee. Pau Gasol scored a career-high 46 points Jan. 10 and was understandably a focus of the Bucks' defense this time.

"Tonight, they were committed to double-teaming me and taking the ball out of my hands," said Gasol, who finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. "Guys got good shots from the weak side and made good plays."

Snell's confidence may go a long way toward determining whether the Bulls finish strong. Monday's victory was their fourth straight home win, as well as the second date in a season-high seven-game homestand.

Rose's shot was way off. He finished 1-for-13 from the field but contributed 8 assists and 5 rebounds.

"I'm not worried about that, missing shots," Rose said. "I've shot worse before, so it's nothing big."

For the most part, this was an ugly game, but the Bulls were in command most of the way. Milwaukee shot just 33.7 percent from the field and the 71 points were a season-low for a Bulls opponent.

The Bulls shot just 35.5 percent themselves, and with so many errant shots available, the Bulls piled up a 62-41 rebounding edge.

"Overall, I think our team is moving in the right direction, a lot more talk on the defensive end," said Joakim Noah, who grabbed 16 rebounds. "Can't get too excited, but we've got to keep that up."

• Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter by following @McGrawDHBulls.