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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
CHICAGO (AP) -- Chicago's Rebuild-A-Bulls finally have something
in common with Michael Jordan and Friends besides the name on the
front of their uniforms.
|  | | Danny Fortson tries to defend Chicago's Elton Brand, who scored 24 points to go with his 13 rebounds. |
Elton Brand led four Bulls in double figures with 26 points and 14 rebounds Saturday as Chicago routed the Boston Celtics 96-79 for
its first three-game winning streak since 1998.
"We win two games in two months and then here we go and win
three in a row," Brand said. "It feels good."
Toni Kukoc added 23 and eight assists, and Matt Maloney, signed Friday, finished with 16, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range.
The victory gives Chicago three wins a row for the first time
since the 1998 NBA Finals, when the Bulls took Games 2, 3 and 4 on
their way to their sixth title. Their last extended regular-season
winning streak was from March 14 to April 7, 1998, when they won 13
straight.
Chicago won two in a row only twice last season.
"I don't go that often that far back," Kukoc said. "Those are
great memories, but the teams are, obviously, different."
Boston, which had won three of its last four, was plagued by
poor shooting. The Celtics missed eight of their first nine shots,
and finished 43 percent (29-of-68) from the floor. Paul Pierce led
the Celtics with 20 and Antoine Walker had 16, but Walker was only
5-of-15 before fouling out.
It was Boston's second loss of the season to the Bulls. Chicago
got its first win against the Celtics.
"We're a better team than what we showed both times we played
here," Walker sad. "You don't want your bad games to be against
the Bulls. You look at those games as wins, but they came out well
and I guess they looked at us as wins."
That the Bulls sudden surge has coincided with Kukoc's return
from the injured list is no surprise. Besides being the closest
thing to a marquee player left on Chicago's roster, Kukoc gives
Chicago a veteran presence it desperately needs. He scores, he
rebounds and he frees people up by drawing double-teams.
He also plays traffic cop, running the floor like a coach. On
Saturday, he was barking orders at his younger teammates, telling
them where to go and creating plays when nothing seemed to be
there.
He scored nine of his 11 first-half points in the second quarter
as the Bulls jumped out to a 37-21 lead. Boston responded with a
9-1 run, but Brand hit a layup, Kukoc fed Ron Artest a rocket pass
for a jumper and then followed with his own one-handed layup to
give Chicago a 44-34 lead at halftime.
"There was a certain frustration level with not being able to
put more veterans on the floor at the same time, and I just said,
'Who?"' coach Tim Floyd said.
"We had seven younger guys out there, and it was frustrating
with guys not being in the right spots. You'll note that Toni is
pointing, talking and directing everyone out there."
The Celtics got within 60-56 with 2:24 left in the third
quarter, thanks to a little scuffle. Walker was going up for what
should have been an easy, fast-break layup when Corey Benjamin
fouled him, hitting him in the neck and face and knocking him hard
to the ground. Vitaly Potapenko had words with Benjamin and then
shoved him.
Benjamin was called for a flagrant foul, and he and Potapenko
both got technicals. Walker made one of the free throws and then
was fouled on the Celtics' next possession. He made both of those
shots.
But the Bulls responded with a 7-1 run to end the third, taking
a 67-57 lead into the final period. A 10-2 spurt midway through the
fourth gave Chicago an 85-67 lead, and all that was left was to
wait for the buzzer.
"We had some killer instinct out there," Brand said. "We knew
they'd try to make a push and we just wanted to end the game."
Game notes
Celtics forward Adrian Griffin sprained his right ankle in
the first quarter when he collided with Brand and rolled his foot
over onto his ankle. Bulls guard B.J. Armstrong reinjured his left
knee early in the second quarter. Armstrong missed the first 15
games of the season after arthroscopic surgery on the knee. ...
Walker got a technical foul for arguing a charge with 3:29 left in
the first half. ... Chris Carr, who was shipped from Minnesota to
New Jersey last season as part of the Stephon Marbury trade, could
be on the Bulls roster soon. The 6-foot-6 guard was in the locker
room before the game, but coach Tim Floyd said he probably wouldn't
be signed before Monday. Carr averaged 6.3 points and 2.2 rebounds
in four NBA seasons.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Boston Clubhouse
Chicago Clubhouse
RECAPS
Minnesota 110
Detroit 105
New Jersey 90
Miami 89
Cleveland 89
New York 86
Dallas 95
Atlanta 85
Chicago 96
Boston 79
Utah 103
Houston 87
San Antonio 127
Orlando 92
Denver 97
Charlotte 92
Milwaukee 130
Washington 129
Portland 96
Phoenix 91
LA Lakers 110
Seattle 100
LA Clippers 107
Indiana 94
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