Gasol Scores Career-High As Bulls Beat Bucks 95-87
CHICAGO (AP) -- Pau Gasol had a career-high 46 points to go along with 18 rebounds and the Chicago Bulls bounced back from a pair of ugly losses with a 95-87 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.
Gasol was 17 for 30 from the field and 12 for 13 at the line. Kirk Hinrich added 16 points for Chicago, and Jimmy Butler had nine points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in the opener of a three-game homestand.
The Bulls were coming off a pair of bad losses to Utah and Washington, when they shot a combined 36 percent from the field. They weren't much better against Milwaukee, finishing at 40 percent (35 for 88), but Gasol's big performance was enough to hold off the Bucks.
Brandon Knight scored 20 points for Milwaukee, which had won its last five road games. Jared Dudley had 15 points, and fellow reserve O.J. Mayo finished with 12.
Milwaukee trailed for the entire first half, but moved in front with a 12-2 run to begin the third quarter. Knight had two jumpers in the surge.
The Bulls responded with a 10-0 run of their own for a 60-51 lead with 4:43 to go. Butler capped the surge with two free throws after he drew a foul on Khris Middleton while shooting a 3 as the shot clock expired.
Gasol then helped the Bulls close it out in the final period. He had a driving layup that made it 87-75 with 4:01 remaining. He finished with four straight free throws, surpassing his previous career best of 44 points for Memphis against Seattle on March 28, 2006.
The Bulls played without starters Derrick Rose and Mike Dunleavy. Rose, who missed much of the last 2 1/2 seasons due to a series of injuries, was sidelined by left knee soreness, and Dunleavy missed his fifth straight game with a right ankle injury.
Dunleavy had an MRI and was scheduled to see team physician Dr. Brian Cole on Saturday night. Rose also was expected to meet with Cole, and coach Tom Thibodeau said the point guard also could be headed for an MRI depending on the result of Cole's examination.
Milwaukee's visit to the United Center was supposed to be Jabari Parker's first NBA game in his hometown, but the rookie forward is out for the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last month.
The Bulls went right inside to Gasol on their first possession, and just kept feeding the big man. He scored the first seven points of the game and had 28 points on 11-for-18 shooting at the break.
Milwaukee shot 37 percent (15 for 41) from the field on its way to a 48-39 deficit at halftime. Dudley helped the Bucks stay in the game with 11 points in the first two quarters.
(© 2015 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.)
