Dunleavy returns, Bulls win

Posted February 10, 2015 12:00 am

Mike McGraw

Mike Dunleavy finally returned after missing 19 games with a right ankle injury and the Bulls offense showed plenty of life on Tuesday against Sacramento.

The Bulls shot 52.5 percent from the field and won going away 104-86, securing their third straight victory. They'll host Cleveland on Thursday for the last game before the all-star break.

There was some bad news, though. Jimmy Butler did not play in the second half due to a right shoulder strain. He may have aggravated an existing injury when he ran into a hard screen set by Reggie Evans in the second quarter.

But with Butler out, a resurgent Tony Snell got more playing time. He finished with a career-high 24 points, hitting 4-of-6 shots from 3-point range. Pau Gasol recorded his 13th straight double-double with 26 points and 16 rebounds, while Derrick Rose added 23 points.

The Bulls (33-20) improved to 13-3 when using the Rose, Butler, Dunleavy, Gasol and Joakim Noah starting lineup. The Bulls were outrebounded 45-33, but it hardly mattered. They led 57-49 at halftime and were never seriously threatened in the second half.

Check back for much more on this game from Mike McGraw.

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