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After fast start, Gordon ice-cold in second half

After jumping from the Bulls to Detroit as a free agent in the summer of 2009, Ben Gordon never got a fair chance to pay back his old team.

He struggled with an ankle injury for most of last season and the Pistons were swept 4-0 by the Bulls.

But it all came together for Gordon in the first half Saturday. He piled up 21 points in 14 minutes, going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and 10-for-10 at the foul line.

The second half was a different story. Gordon missed 5 shots and didn't score at all while the Pistons blew a 21-point lead and lost 101-91 at the United Center.

“I got some more opportunities, was aggressive and was able to make some things happen (in the first half),” Gordon said. “It wasn't enough for us. I thought we just got away from what was working for us in the first half. Then we never made an adjustment on D-Rose.”

The Bulls played more zone defense in the second half and often sent a second defender at Gordon to prevent quick jumpers. Gordon had shots blocked by Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah in the second half.

“I don't think those guys can really guard me, honestly,” Gordon said. “I just think I didn't have as many opportunities and they kind of got let off the hook.”

Johnson back in mix:

One of the unsung heroes in Saturday's comeback win was forward James Johnson, who played the entire fourth quarter in place of Luol Deng. Johnson knocked down a tying 3-pointer with 5:03 left and finished with 9 rebounds, 8 points, 4 assists and 3 blocks.

Johnson ducked out quickly after the game to greet friends in the Pistons' locker room, but Derrick Rose paid tribute to his locker neighbor.

“You get the coach to come up to you and tell you he doesn't think you're going to be in the rotation because we've got so many great players on our team, it hurts as a player,” Rose said. “But he stayed ready. He showed that he's growing as a player and he played excellent.”

Bull horns:

At halftime of Saturday's game, the free-throw totals for the season were Bulls 17-for-27 and opponents 59-for-70, including the opener in Oklahoma. The Bulls rallied to win the second-half free-throw attempts 26-12. The Pistons went 3-for-12 at the line after halftime. … Detroit's had a tough 0-3 start. It squandered a 7-point lead in the final 1:40 at New Jersey, then lost by a point at home to Oklahoma City by giving up a Jeff Green driving lay in with 2.5 seconds left.