NBA ROUNDUP: ROSE OUTDUELS PAUL AS BULLS WIN; HEAT, HAWKS STAY UNBEATEN

Derrick Rose showed his MVP form with 29 points and 16 assists to lead the Chicago Bulls past Chris Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers 114-101 in a much-hyped home opener at Staples Center on Friday night.

Rose is 5-0 in head-to-head matchups with Paul, who had 15 points and 14 assists.

Rose led a balanced Bulls attack and keyed a run fourth-quarter run when the Bulls made five consecutive 3-pointers. They had been just 2 of 12.

Luol Deng and Joakim Noah each had 19 points and eight rebounds. Richard Hamilton scored 16.

The Bulls had a big advantage at the line, making 29 of 34 foul shots while the Clippers went 12 for 20. The Bulls also outrebounded the Clippers 45-31.

Blake Griffin led the Clippers (1-2) with 34 points and 13 rebounds. Caron Butler scored 16 points while Mo Williams added 13 while starting at shooting guard in place of the injured Chauncey Billups (strained groin).

Chicago (3-1) completed its four-game road trip with back-to-back wins.

Continue Reading at Reuters