LeBron responded with 31 points…
Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose scored 30 points on Thursday night as he led his team to a win over rivals the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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With the All-Star weekend upon us, there was just one game on Thursday night but it couldn’t have been any more intriguing as two of the favourites for the Eastern Conference title crossed paths.
Chicago were boosted by the kind of performance that was associated with Rose prior to his knee troubles, and after scoring 30 points and hearing ‘MVP’ chants from the home crowd, he was pleased with how he performed.
“I’m just letting my game come to me,” Rose was quoted by NBA.com.
“That’s all I’m doing. I’m being patient with the ball. … I’m trying to read the defense and pass the ball to the right people that are open.”
Is he happy with the way he’s playing?
“Yes, very pleased,” Rose added.
Pau Gasol added 18 points and 10 rebounds while Tony Snell scored 22 as the Bulls look as though their troubles are now behind them by extending their winning streak to four games after dropping 10 of 15 prior to that.
LeBron James responded with 31 points for the visitors while Kyrie Irving had 17 points and seven assists, but the Cavs were missing Kevin Love while the Bulls were without Jimmy Butler due to injury.
Nevertheless, the All-Star break arguably comes at the worst possible time for Chicago who saw Rose put in a great performance, Gasol put up his 14th straight double-double, Snell continue his recent impressive form and Joakim Noah start to find some offensive rhythm with 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Both teams are now off until February 20, with attention switching to New York for the All-Star weekend.
NBA Results
Cleveland Cavaliers 98-113 Chicago Bulls
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