Morning Box Score: Rose Has Career Night Versus Spurs

By Chuck Sudo in News on Feb 18, 2011 3:30PM

Derrick Rose said last night's game against the San Antonio Spurs was a "statement" game. Then he went out and backed up his talk against the team with the NBA's best record. Rose scored a career-high 42 points and dished out 8 assists as the Bulls made relatively easy work of the Spurs 109-99. Rose, who had been in a shooting slump lately, looked for his shot early, driving to the basket for a variety of jackknife layups. He ended the night 18-28 from the field; the shots made were another career high for Rose.

Rose also got the best of his personal matchup against Spurs guard Tony Parker. Parker led the Spurs with 26 points, but only dished out 4 assists and was a minus-9 for the game, compared to Rose's plus-15. After the game, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "We scored 99 points, shot 49 percent, hit seven 3-pointers, and you think you are going to win. But (Rose) negated that."

The Bulls head into the All-Star break with a 38-16 record. Rose, meanwhile, is in Los Angeles for All-Star weekend, where he'll compete in tonight's skills competition and on Sunday become the first Bulls starter in an All-Star game since a guy named Jordan in 1998