CHICAGO: Britain’s Luol Deng scored 23 points and Derrick Rose added 20 in his return from injury yesterday to power the Chicago Bulls over previously unbeaten Indiana 110-94.
The Pacers, who fell to 9-1, had been the NBA’s last undefeated team and the first club to win so many games to start a season since the Dallas Mavericks in 2002.
But a night after the Pacers ripped Milwaukee, the host Bulls outplayed Indiana from the start, seizing a 31-20 lead after the first quarter and a 60-35 half-time advantage.
Chicago’s biggest lead of the night was 33 points before the Bulls, 5-3, benched their stars and left the reserves to finish off their fourth win in a row.
Bulls playmaker Rose, who had not practiced since injuring his right hamstring in a victory Monday over Cleveland, was named a starter shortly before the game and showed he was ready to return with a solid performance, hitting 6-of-11 shots from 3-point range and 7-of-16 overall in 31 minutes on the court.
Roy Hibbert had 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Pacers, who had seven double-figure scorers
Meanwhile, LeBron James scored 30 points while reserve Michael Beasley added 15 to spark the reigning NBA champion Miami Heat over host Charlotte 97-81 yesterday.
James, who played 32 minutes, went 13-of-18 from the field and added seven assists to help lead Miami to a third triumph in a row and sixth victory in seven games.
The Heat, who lost two of three to open the season, defeated the Bobcats for a 13th consecutive time despite 22 points from Kemba Walker. Miami has not lost to Charlotte since James joined the Heat.
Jeff Taylor scored 14 points for the Bobcats while Gerald Henderson added 13 points and seven rebounds. The Bobcats pulled level at 47-47 early in the second half after falling behind by 16 points in the second quarter, but Beasley sparked an 8-0 Miami run for a 62-53 edge and Charlotte never came closer than six points again. Heat point guard Mario Chalmers missed the game while serving a one-game suspension for throwing a forearm at Dirk Nowitzki in Friday’s victory over Dallas. Norris Cole started in place of Chalmers and contributed eight points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Meanwhile, Anthony Davis was on his way to what might have been a memorable - and unusual - statistical line before he came out for good with more than three minutes still left in the third quarter. Not that he was complaining. Davis had 13 points, nine rebounds and a career-high eight blocks, and the New Orleans Pelicans emphatically snapped a three-game skid with a 135-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
‘“You always want to play no matter how much you’re winning by, how much time is left ... but I don’t ever question coach’s decision,’’ Davis said. Agencies
