Bogut's big return lifts Bucks over Bulls
MILWAUKEE - The Bulls' timing has been impeccable during the lengthy circus road trip.
They caught the Lakers on the night all-star forward Pau Gasol came back from a long injury layoff, saw Denver's Chris "Birdman" Andersen a day after he sat out against the Clippers, then got a firsthand look at Andrew Bogut's return from a leg injury.
The Milwaukee center hadn't played since Nov. 18, so he figured to be working his way back into game shape, right? Well, against the Bulls, anything is possible.
Just like those other two returning players, Bogut showed no rust. He produced 22 points, 15 rebounds and 2 key blocked shots in the final two minutes as the Bulls stretched their losing streak to five on Monday at the Bradley Center.
Derrick Rose led a nice comeback from 14 points down in the third quarter, but the Bulls fell short 99-97 when Brad Miller's 18-foot, potential tying jumper barely grazed the front of the rim as time expired.
"I'm not pleased with the result, but I liked the way our guys battled," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said.
The Bulls (6-9) did plenty of things well in this game. John Salmons led the visitors with 23 points, Luol Deng added 22 and Joakim Noah ended his streak of three straight single-digit rebound games by posting 17 boards and 16 points.
Trailing 70-56 with 5:37 remaining in the third quarter, Rose came to life. He scored 13 points in a 24-10 run that sent the Bulls into the lead - looking more like his old Rookie of the Year self while playing against this season's rookie sensation Brandon Jennings.
"I'm like an old person, I'm getting flashbacks," Rose said with a smile. "I do whatever it takes to win. At that time we needed me to score to get back in the game, so that's what I did."
The Bulls couldn't produce down the stretch, though, after taking an 89-87 lead with 4:28 remaining. They scored just 1 point on their next five possessions, while the Bucks (9-7) went ahead 95-90 with 1:08 left.
After an exchange of free throws, veteran Lindsey Hunter caught his own rebound and threw it back to Salmons, who canned a 3-pointer to pull the Bulls within 96-95 with 14.7 seconds left.
Jennings (15 points, 8 assists) hit a pair of free throws, Salmons scored on a dunk, then Milwaukee's Charlie Bell hit 1 of 2 at the line, giving the Bulls a chance with 7.1 seconds on the clock.
Working without a timeout, Rose went around a screen, drove into the lane and tossed it back to Miller, whose shot wasn't close.
"They double-teamed Derrick, he made the right basketball play," Del Negro said. "The percentages will go in your favor if you make the right play."
The Bulls were missing Kirk Hinrich (sprained left thumb) and Tyrus Thomas (broken left arm). But the Bucks were without Michael Redd (sore knee) and defensive stopper Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (foot sprain). So Bogut's return made a huge difference.
"I wouldn't have predicted this after so many days off, but he looked fresh," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "We just hope he doesn't have any setback.
"I feel like the bigs are getting their way offensively against us," Noah said. "My post defense is suspect right now."
<p class="factboxheadblack">Mike McGraw's game tracker</p> <p class="News">Bucks 99, Bulls 97</p> <p class="News"><b>Slow starters:</b> The Bulls were sluggish for most of the first three quarters and trailed by 14 with 51/2 minutes left in the third. Derrick Rose led a nice comeback, but when Brad Miller's potential tying jumper at the buzzer fell short, so did the Bulls.</p> <p class="News"><b>Uncertain injury:</b> Milwaukee center Andrew Bogut hadn't played since Nov. 18 because of a leg injury, but he piled up 22 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks against the Bulls. John Salmons led the visitors with 23 points, while Luol Deng added 22.</p> <p class="News"><b>Remembering home:</b> The Bulls wrapped up the circus road trip with a 1-5 record. Out of the 15 opponents they've faced this season, 12 are at .500 or better. The Bulls return to the United Center on Wednesday to battle Detroit and former teammate Ben Gordon, if he can recover from a sprained left ankle in time.</p> <div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=340779">Rose can relate to Jennings' struggles<span class="date"> [11/30/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>