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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bulls are showing they can score points as well as limit them. And when they do both, they can make beating even a good team look easy. Taj Gibson scored 21 points, Carlos Boozer added 15 points and 13 rebounds, and the Bulls used a big third-quarter run to win for the seventh time in eight games, pounding the Golden State Warriors 103-83 Wednesday night. Jimmy Butler scored 16 points after missing two games with bruised ribs, Mike Dunleavy Jr. added 15, and Joakim Noah grabbed 17 rebounds for Chicago. The Bulls dominated on the glass 56-41, forced 16 turnovers and held All-Star Stephen Curry in check while bringing Golden States four-game win streak to an emphatic end. "I thought we were playing well before the break, and as a group, we talked about continuing to keep it going after the break," Boozer said. "Nows the time to step on the gas pedal and really get ready for the playoffs." The Bulls hit the 100-point mark for the third time in four games and shut down a high-scoring team in the process. Jordan Crawford scored 16 points, but it was a rough night for the Warriors even though David Lee returned to the rotation. He came off the bench to score 11 points in 20 minutes after being hospitalized with a stomach flu and missing two games. "Timing was a little off," Lee said. "I was definitely more winded quicker than I would have been. Twenty minutes felt like about 55 minutes tonight on the court, but that usually is going to happen the first game back. Im glad I got that under my belt and Im ready for the next one." Curry, meanwhile, tied a season low with five points on 2-of-10 shooting with Kirk Hinrich guarding him and the Warriors never found a rhythm. "He always seems to keep a hand on you and never really gives a beat when his help isnt there," Curry said. "Hes very consistent at funneling you where they want you to go. Tonight it was even difficult to get him off-balance and going the opposite way. They made adjustments from the first game (a home win over the Bulls on Feb. 6), and we were just a step slow on making our adjustments in the game. They just outplayed us from start to finish." The Warriors trailed by 11 at the half and were within eight in the third quarter when things got out of hand. Dunleavy blocked Andre Iguodalas layup with 7:33 left to send the Bulls were on their way. Hinrich converted a three-point play, igniting a 14-2 run that sealed this one for Chicago. Butler stole a pass by Lee, leading to a layup for Boozer, and scored on a putback that made it 66-51 with 5:52 remaining. After Dunleavy hit a free throw, Boozer capped the run with three straight baskets -- a 15-footer, a short jumper and a 13-foot bank shot -- that bumped Chicagos lead to 73-53 with 3:20 to go in the quarter. Afterward, Hinrichs defence against one of the leagues top scorers drew heavy praise. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau acknowledged Curry missed a few shots he normally makes but was quick to praise his veteran guard. "You never can measure his true value if you go by statistics," Thibodeau said. "If you go by what he is doing for your team, setting the tone for the defence with his ball pressure, his hustle plays, first to the floor, running your team -- the things he does, it really ignites and inspires your team. And he plays to win. I think that its never lost on his teammates, and its certainly not lost on the coaches or the organization." NOTES: Bulls star Derrick Rose has started running as he tries to work his way back from another season-ending knee injury, although Thibodeau said a return to practice remains a long way off. "Nowhere close to practicing," he said. "Hes doing some running. Hes off the treadmill. Still on it at some times, but his full weight now, and doing lateral slides and things like that. Nowhere near practicing or anything like that." He also reiterated that Rose will not return this season. ... Warriors coach Mark Jackson praised Thibodeau, who was an assistant to Jeff Van Gundy when Jackson played for the New York Knicks. "He was a guy you knew was going to be a very good coach," Jackson said. "Worked his tail off and was committed to his craft. Im very happy for him." . The 29-year-old Mills started three games for Oakland this season, posting a 1-1 record with a 4.41 earned-run average. He opened the season appearing in 14 games and making 12 starts for the Milwaukee Brewers triple-A affiliate in Nashville, posting a 4-2 record with a 1. . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson. . Or how his team has defended Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Or just about anything that has happened on the court in the first-round playoff series. Instead, Rivers and his players spent Saturday talking about how they would respond to an audio recording of a man identified as Clippers owner Donald Sterling telling his girlfriend not to bring black people to games. . PETERSBURG, Fla. . Despite 11-1 records, theyre out and Big Ten winner Ohio State is into the national semifinals.LAS VEGAS -- J.J. Henry made a 50-foot eagle putt from the fringe on his final hole Thursday for an 11-under 60 and a one-stroke lead in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Henry also had nine birdies in perfect conditions at TPC Summerlin en route to the lowest round of his career. The two-time PGA Tour winner broke the course record and was a shot off the event mark of 59 set by Chip Beck in 1991 at Sunrise Golf Club. Henry began play on No. 10, and birdied Nos. 12 and 15-17 on his first nine. He added birdies on Nos. 2, 4-6 and 8 before eagling the par-5 ninth for a career-best 7-under 28 on the nine. "I finally made some putts," Henry said. "Ive always felt like Ive been a pretty good ball-striker, and when I make some putts I seem to climb the board. "And I obviously hit a lot of good ones today and hit some close ones, but it was nice to make a couple of those ones, especially that last one for eagle on nine, my 18th hole. Im just trying to get it down there somewhere and obviously kind of tap it in, but its always a bonus when those things go in." Henrys previous PGA Tour best was a 10-under 61 in the 2006 Phoenix Open. "Obviously, this is the kind of week you (have to) shoot some low scores," Henry said. "And obviously (there) is a long way to go, but its nice to get one early in the tournament and see if you can kind of build on it. You (have to) shoot somewhere in the low to mid 20s (under par for 72 holes) to probably have a chance to win, and I think the golf course is going to be there." Argentinas Andres Romero was second. He had two eagles in a 61, also his lowest PGA Tour score. "I was focused on my game and I was trying to do my job, and thats all," Romero said. "I feel very good and foccused on the game and on every shot.dddddddddddd So I wasnt paying attention to the leaderboard and the other guys." Hes making his first start since The Barclays in late August. "I was practicing a lot and working on my game," Romero said. "And I was feeling very good this week. My swing is there. I was hitting the ball well and I had a really good round today." James Driscoll, Jonathan Byrd and Jeff Overton shot 63. Driscoll holed out from the fairway for an eagle on the ninth. "I actually hit a decent drive and it caught the left bunker," Driscoll said. "I had to lay up to like 90 yards and had a pretty good number and been working on my wedge game pretty good, so I felt pretty confident over it, and it kind of took a nice little kick for me and went right in the hole." Overton holed out for eagle on his opening hole --the 408-yard, par-4 first. "I dont ever remember holing out on the first hole any golf tournament," Overton said. " So it was pretty of cool. I kind of felt uncomfortable for some reason on the first tee, kind of pulled it and kind of had a tough little shot underneath the tree and hit a little low snap hook pitching wedge and it rolled about 30 feet and just died right in the centre and Im like, Sweet." Webb Simpson had a 64. Calgarys Stephen Ames carded a 65. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., and Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., finished at 72. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., turned in a 77. Zach Johnson, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 11 in the world, opened with a 69. Defending champion Ryan Moore also shot 69. Jimmy Walker, the winner of the season-opening Frys.com Open last week in California, had a 71. ' ' '
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