Bulls true to form with easy win over Warriors

Anybody who has been paying attention to the Bulls lately would know that falling behind 20-6 against Golden State on Wednesday night was as inconsequential a deficit as anyone will run across in the NBA.

The trend for the Bulls has been slow starts and fast finishes. At least that's the case at home. On the road, they've been starting and finishing slow.

But considering the Warriors' team concept of launching crazy shots for the full 48 minutes, the Bulls had plenty of time for a comeback. They eventually delivered an easy 110-88 victory at the United Center, their 12th win after trailing by 10 or more points.

"We're used to games like that," guard Derrick Rose said. "We just stayed aggressive throughout the game."

The Bulls (28-34) also made some progress in the playoff race. The victory finally pulled them into a virtual tie with Milwaukee for the No. 8 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Technically, the Bucks still have a slim lead in winning percentage, but both teams are six games below .500.

The Bulls host Milwaukee on Friday with a chance to pull ahead in the standings and clinch the season series 3-1. The Bucks (29-35) lost in Cleveland on Wednesday, while New Jersey (27-34) also lost to fall a half-game off the pace. Indiana, Charlotte and New York are all within 2 games of the Bulls and the Bucks, so the race is a long way from over.

"It's good, but at the same time the goal is to make the playoffs," center Joakim Noah said. "It will only be good if we make it at the end."

The Bulls' big men did plenty of damage against the Warriors' small lineup. Noah piled up 17 rebounds, 14 points and 4 blocks, while Brad Miller hit 7 of 9 shots to score 19 points.

"Yeah, it's easier," Noah said. "Personally, I felt kind of tired out there today. I felt like I missed a lot of easy shots around the basket. There are still areas I can improve."

Tyrus Thomas had a dunk blocked by fellow LSU product Anthony Randolph in the first quarter but came back with a couple of nice slams to finish with 8 points and 7 boards. John Salmons, starting in place of the injured Luol Deng, led the Bulls with 23 points.

Golden State (21-40) knocked down 9 of 12 shots at the start of the game and led 20-6 when Marco Belinelli hit a 3-pointer less than six minutes in. But the Bulls stayed calm and pulled within 26-20 by the end of the first quarter, then outscored the Warriors 31-19 in the second.

"This may be the worst three quarters we have played in two months," Warriors coach Don Nelson said. "Not a guy played worth a darn after the first quarter."

A couple of players with Chicago ties stunk it up for the Warriors. Ex-Bull Jamal Crawford hit 4 of 15 shots, and Fenwick High School's Corey Maggette went 5-for-16 from the field. Stephen Jackson led the visitors with 19 points. Even after the blistering start, Golden State ended up shooting just 40 percent from the field.