Nov. 14--The summary
Pau Gasol posted his sixth double-double with 27 points and 11 rebounds and the Bulls placed at least five players in double figures for the ninth straight game in a 100-93 victory over the Raptors. Derrick Rose added 20 points and five turnovers before leaving with a left hamstring injury with 1 minute, 53 seconds left. Jimmy Butler contributed 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists. The Bulls outrebounded a second straight opponent and turned up the screws defensively, holding the Raptors to 39 percent shooting.
Turning point
The Bulls closed a dominant, 35-14 third quarter with a 15-3 run that came with Rose and Joakim Noah on the bench. Mike Dunleavy scored five points and Butler and Taj Gibson added four apiece in the spurt, which helped turn a seven-point halftime deficit into a 14-point lead entering the fourth.
Tribune player of game
Butler. Beyond his numbers, he did his typical yeoman's defensive work and hit a huge jumper to stem the Raptors' late run.
Big number
14. The Bulls held league's highest-scoring team to 14 points below their average entering of 107.
The quote
"Pau and Joakim are going to be a great tandem. They're two 7-footers up front. You have length at the rim, which is huge for us. Taj has been terrific all season. Jimmy Butler is having a phenomenal year. He plays both sides of the ball, is shooting well, takes on the task of guarding the best perimeter player without complaining. (Kirk) Hinrich has been terrific. Aaron Brooks has played great for us. Derrick is coming. We have a lot of guys going well." -- Tom Thibodeau
Up next
Vs. Indiana, 7 p.m. Saturday at home.
