Boozer scores season-high 34, Bulls beat Raptors

[December 16, 2010]  TORONTO (AP) -- Carlos Boozer had a season-high 34 points and 12 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls won their seventh straight game by beating the Toronto Raptors 110-93 on Wednesday night.

Luol Deng added 19 points, Joakim Noah had 11 points and 11 rebounds and Derrick Rose dished out 11 assists for the Bulls, who never trailed and led by as many as 29.

Kyle Korver scored 13 points and Ronnie Brewer had 10 as Chicago matched its longest winning streak since a seven-game run from Nov. 25 to Dec. 8, 2006.

Leandro Barbosa scored 21 points for Toronto, which lost for the sixth time in seven games. Jerryd Bayless had 20 and DeMar DeRozan and Joey Dorsey each scored 12.

Making his first career start in place of Andrea Bargnani, who missed his first game of the season with a sore left knee, Ed Davis had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors.

Trailing 91-64 to begin the fourth, Toronto closed the gap with a 12-2 run, cutting it to 93-76 on a layup by Barbosa with 7:21 remaining.

Taj Gibson ended the spurt with a dunk and the Raptors were unable to get any closer, allowing Chicago to close out a comfortable win.

Rose started for the Bulls despite a sprained right wrist and bruised right elbow, sustained when he fell hard in the fourth quarter of Monday's victory over Indiana. Noah also started despite lingering pain in his sprained right thumb.

Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said Noah will be re-examined when the Bulls return home Thursday.

Up 23-18 after one quarter, the Bulls got 12 points from Boozer and 10 from Korver in the second, building a 63-44 lead at halftime.

Boozer scored 14 points in the third as Chicago took a 91-64 lead into the final quarter.

Chicago outrebounded Toronto 47-37.

NOTES: Jose Calderon (left foot) missed his fourth straight game for Toronto while Peja Stojakovic (left knee) sat out for the 10th game in a row. ... Boozer's previous best this season was 29 points, set Dec. 6 against Oklahoma City. ... DeRozan is the only Toronto player to start all 26 games this season.

[Associated Press]

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