Game #32: 12-31-09 Chicago @ Detroit

Most of the on-court problems the Bulls have faced this season can be traced to the fact that only four players have shown up consistently - Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and rookie Taj Gibson.

All four of their performances qualify as great news for the Bulls.

Rose is starting to follow his destiny as an NBA star, averaging 20.3 points and 6.2 assists in December.

Deng recovered from a stress fracture to average 18.1 points, Noah ranks second in the league in rebounds at 12.2 per game, and Gibson has been remarkably steady for a No. 26 draft pick.

The Bulls have been outmanned at times, though, thanks to injuries to Tyrus Thomas, Kirk Hinrich and Jannero Pargo, along with inconsistent play from last year's two additions, John Salmons and Brad Miller. Rookie James Johnson wasn't ready to contribute early in the season.

If the ugly home losses to New Jersey and Sacramento were reversed, the Bulls would be sitting at 14-15 right now and there probably would be few complaints.

Is 12-17 cause for so much anxiety? Definitely not, but check back after the Pistons game.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- When the Chicago Bulls won in Sacramento on Nov. 14, they were hoping they'd get their next road victory before Thanksgiving.

Instead, it took until New Year's Eve.

"I wasn't thinking about the streak -- I just wanted to get a win," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "This was just a nice, solid win for us."

Derrick Rose scored 22 points, and Joakim Noah added 15 points and 21 rebounds to help the Bulls end a six-week road drought with a 98-87 victory over Detroit.

"This feels good," Noah said after Chicago won its third in a row overall. "I think we are just playing better basketball right now for whatever reason."

[...]

Chicago had lost eight straight on the road, but never trailed while handing Detroit its ninth straight loss. The Pistons (11-21) are 10 games under .500 for the first time since the 2000-01 season, but coach John Kuester was still encouraged.

"I saw a number of positive things out there," he said. "I'm sure people are going to hear that and say, 'You must be kidding,' but we did some good things. We lost Rip [Hamilton], Tayshaun [Prince] and Ben Gordon for extended periods of time, and there's no chance that they were going to come right back in midseason form."

Tyrus Thomas added 19 points for Chicago (13-17), and John Salmons had 17.

Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons with 22 points despite leaving the game twice in the first half after spraining his left ankle.

[...]

Detroit got to 46-44 in the third quarter, but Chicago led 69-56 at the end of the period. The Bulls led by 20 as the Palace emptied during the fourth quarter.

[...]

Game notes
... Detroit has not led in the second half of any of its last six games. Their only lead in the last two games -- at home against the struggling Knicks and Bulls -- was 2-0 against New York. ... Thomas had 10 points in the first three quarters without making a field goal. He was 0 for 2 from the floor and 10 for 12 from the line.