CHICAGO, March 7 (UPI) -- Derrick Rose scored 18 of his 24 points in the second half Monday and the Chicago Bulls pulled away for an 85-77 victory over New Orleans.
After an evenly-played first half ended in a 43-43 tie, Rose took over for the Bulls. His 3-point play late in the third period sparked a 9-0 run that gave Chicago the lead for good, and his 3-point shot early in the fourth handed the Bulls a commanding 10-point lead at 75-65.
Rose added nine assists and Carlos Boozer contributed 19 points and nine rebounds in Chicago's fifth win in six contests.
The Hornets were playing without all-star point guard Chris Paul, who was listed as day-to-day after suffering a concussion during Sunday's win in Cleveland.
Jarret Jack popped in 23 points for New Orleans, which shot only 36.3 percent from the floor.
