Pau Gasol (R) of the Chicago Bulls blocks a shot by Luc Richard Mbah a Moute of the Los Angeles Clippers at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Clippers 83-80. (Getty Images/AFP)

 

DPA/Los Angeles


This time there would be no late game collapse, as Derrick Rose rescued the Chicago Bulls.
Spaniard Pau Gasol poured in 24 points and Rose had nine of his 11 in the fourth quarter Thursday, as the struggling Bulls held off the visiting LA Clippers 83-80 to stop a three-game slide.
“I’m just happy we were able to win the game,” Rose said. “It’s all about winning and I don’t have to go to sleep thinking about another loss.”
Chicago had been outscored 102-70 in the fourth quarter of their previous three setbacks and appeared to be headed for another after blowing a 16-point third-quarter cushion and a 10-point bulge in the fourth. But Rose has been wearing a clear protective face mask since fracturing his left eye socket on the first day of practice, but shed the mask and found his stroke.
“When I went out there they told me I could play without my mask, so I took it off in the fourth quarter,” the former league MVP explained. “Actually, I forgot it and said I’m going to leave it off.”
Jimmy Butler had 14 points with eight assists, while Taj Gibson netted 12 and eight rebounds for the Bulls (12-8) who ended a seven-game home slide to the Clippers.
“Actually, I didn’t even notice Derrick wasn’t wearing a mask in the fourth quarter but I like it,” Butler said. “Derrick was aggressive.  He was huge for us, mask or no mask.”
Blake Griffin had 18 points and 11 rebounds, Chris Paul netted 12, while DeAndre Jordan finished with 10 and 14 rebounds for the Clippers (13-10), who hit 10-of-22 triples but had their three-game winning streak snapped.
The Clippers played the final 18 minutes without Griffin, who was hit with an automatic ejection midway through the third quarter after being whistled for a flagrant-2 foul when he unintentionally whacked Gibson across the face with his right arm on a layup attempt. Griffin quickly helped Gibson up.
“I wasn’t trying to hit him in the face,” Griffin said. “There was no intent to hurt, or intent to even really hit him. I was going to try to hit the ball and he pump faked me.”
Los Angeles trailed by 16 when Griffin exited but used it as a rallying cry. Led by their second unit, the Clippers went on a 25-9 tear capped by a pair of 3-pointers by Josh Smith to square the contest at 66-apiece with 7:19 left. The Bulls responded and regained the lead, 81-75 on triples by Rose and Gasol, and three free throws by Aaron Brooks with 2:28 to go.
A floater by Rose put the Bulls ahead, 83-77 with 45 seconds remaining, before a Wesley Johnson triple draw the Clippers to within three.
Butler had a chance to seal the outcome but missed a wide-open five-foot push shot and the Clippers grabbed the rebound with six seconds left.
Paul looked to send the game into overtime but his 3-point attempt bounced off the back of the iron and the Bulls escaped.   
“I like the way we fought back but we didn’t play too smart the last few minutes of the game,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “That’s when I want to be great and we weren’t great.”
Elsewhere:
Oklahoma City Thunder 107, Atlanta Hawks 94: Kevin Durant collected 25 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his seventh career triple-double, and the Thunder rolled the visiting Hawks for their third straight win. Russell Westbrook had 23 points with 10 assists while Serge Ibaka finished with a season-high tying 23 and 10 boards as OKC (14-8) dominated the boards, 52-34. Kent Bazemore scored 22 points for Atlanta (14-9) which had its modest two-game streak stopped
Sacramento Kings 99, New York Knicks 97: DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points and 11 rebounds, Rajon Rondo added 16 points, 12 assists and nine boards, and the Kings (9-15) held off the visiting Knicks after nearly blowing a 19-point third-quarter cushion. Carmelo Anthony had 23 points and 14 rebounds but missed a potential game-tying triple at the buzzer as the Knicks (10-14) lost their fourth in a row.
Brooklyn Nets 100, Philadelphia 76ers 91: Italy’s Andrea Bargnani scored a season-high 23 points, Thaddeus Young added 18 with 11 rebounds, and the Nets (7-15) pulled away to beat the league-worst Sixers for their sixth home win in the last seven games. Jahlil Okafor had 22 points and 10 rebounds for Philadelphia (1-22) outscored 30-17 in the fourth quarter.