Allen gets to be part of show in Chicago

Memphis guard Tony Allen attended Crane High School, which is within walking distance of the United Center. Before Friday’s game, he sorted out handfuls of tickets, family passes and will-call envelopes in the locker room.

He has been in the league seven years but mostly as a bench player with Boston. This might have been the first time he played extended minutes against the Bulls in Chicago.

Allen was pumped up, and it showed. He taunted the fans and yelled encouragement to the Grizzlies, but an encounter with former Celtics teammate Brian Scalabrine apparently crossed the line.

Allen was given a technical foul in the third quarter by referee Joe Crawford for talking to Scalabrine on the Bulls’ bench.

“I was just telling Scal that I do this,” said Allen, who scored all of his 13 points in the first half. “I don’t know. I was pumped up. If they gave it to me, they gave it to me.

“I was excited to be here. If that’s what Joey called, that’s what he called. I can’t question it.

“(Scalabrine) looked right in my eyes and I had to say something to him. It pretty much cost us the game, so I can’t do stuff like that.”

Bench delivers quickly:

The Bulls’ self-proclaimed “Bench Mob” lifted the team earlier than usual.

When the Bulls fell behind 20-11, coach Tom Thibodeau sent Taj Gibson, Ronnie Brewer and Kurt Thomas into the game at the 4:17 mark of the first quarter, although Thomas got to the table late and couldn’t check in right away.

Gibson was ready for the physical style Memphis was playing. He contributed 6 points and 5 rebounds in the next four minutes and the Bulls closed within 22-21 when the quarter was over.

“I could tell our morale was a little slow getting off,” Gibson said. “I just tried to do my job and bring energy.

“We’re used to games like this now. They want to be physical, we can be physical. This was just one of those grind-it-out games. One thing about our team, we know how to grind games out. We know how to play any kind of style.”

Rose coats hand:

Before Friday’s game, Derrick Rose coated his right hand with wax but claimed later it wasn’t an injury remedy.

“Wax is supposed to loosen your joints and make your hand feel good,” he said. “I guess it worked. It was just something I tried.”

Rose took a couple of hard falls in the win over Memphis but dusted himself off and knocked down 12 of 13 free throws. He admitted hurting his wrist at some point.

“One of them, but it’s just basketball. You’re going to fall,” he said. “You’ve got to take those hits and go up to the line and show them you can still knock down the free throws.”