Rose learning to slow it down on pick-and-roll

Vinny Del Negro must have owned a 10-speed bike when he was a kid, because he used how one works to illustrate how Derrick Rose should approach the pick-and-roll, a staple in the development of an NBA point guard.

"Sometimes we talk about him being in gear 10 already," Del Negro said after the Bulls' 117-102 victory over Milwaukee on Friday. "He's got to pull it back sometimes.

"I thought he pulled it back to gear 6 and waited a little bit, then attacked the basket when it was open. That was good."

Rose matched his career high with 27 points against the Bucks, and all 10 of his baskets came on fastbreaks or drives to the basket. There wasn't a single jumper in the mix.

One of the reasons the Bulls were willing to trade for center Brad Miller was to be a formidable partner with Rose in the screen-and-roll. Miller, 32, is a savvy veteran and has a decent midrange jump shot if opponents collapse on Rose.

"You've got to be aggressive and really go at the big guy when they switch the screen, so that you're going downhill with a head of steam," Miller said of Rose. "He just found a way to get to the cup really well."

Rose took advice not only from Del Negro and Miller, but also Kirk Hinrich. In the locker room after the game, Hinrich's drawing of a screen-and-roll play still was visible.

"Kirk came in here and drew it up on the board for me (at halftime)," Rose said. "He told me to slow it down a little bit, something that Chris Paul does."

Added Miller, "Everybody's fast (in the NBA), and the hardest part with young guys is telling them to slow down. I think I perfected the slow-down part of it."

So the timing worked well for Rose to find his way to the hoop Friday. But all season long Rose's drives have been more or less a function of the other team's interior defense. If the Bucks had center Andrew Bogut healthy, there would have been less room to operate near the basket.

Ben Gordon also helped spread the defense by pouring in 34 points, mostly on long-range jumpers. Gordon hit 10 of 19 attempts to go with 7 assists and 4 steals.

"That guy can shoot the (heck) out of the ball," Miller said. "I really enjoy guys that can shoot. I played with Peja (Stojakovic), and it was so much fun to have guys who can pull up on the break from anywhere."

The Bulls took Saturday off, but they can't rest for long. Their hold on the No. 8 playoff seed in the East will be put to the test during a three-game road trip to Miami, Orlando and Philadelphia, beginning Monday against the Heat.

Forward Luol Deng (bruised right tibia) is out indefinitely, while Hinrich (right-quad bruise), Tyrus Thomas (hip strain) and Tim Thomas (left-knee strain) all are hurting but should to play Monday.

The Bulls have won five straight at home but have dropped four road games in a row, all against sub-. 500 teams.

"There's no reason we can't play this way on the road," Gordon said after beating the Bucks. "We just need to remember how we played tonight, how we shared the ball, how we got out on the break and try to let it carry over."