Pau Gasol With 51st Double-Double in Bulls Win Over Miami (VIDEO)

The Chicago Bulls rode Pau Gasol’s 16 points and 15 rebounds, as they stormed back from a 19-point deficit in Miami to take down the Heat 89-78 Thursday night.

It was Gasol’s NBA-leading 51st double-double of the season, and four other Bulls scored in double figures.

Chicago had to overcome an out-of-nowhere 13-point explosion from Michael Beasley in the second quarter.

Derrick Rose, in his second game back from knee surgery, played 20 minutes (scoring 12 points) and is seeking more playing time with the postseason fast-approaching.

Per the Chicago Tribune:

Derrick Rose finished a back-to-back by playing 20 minutes, 22 seconds and the Bulls took a half-game lead over the Raptors for the Eastern Conference’s third playoff seed with a rarely seen 39-8 run over the third quarter and first two minutes of the fourth.

 

Rose again sat the entire fourth quarter, a plan that (coach Tom) Thibodeau said could hold for the foreseeable future. […] “We want to make sure he can handle that and then we’ll see where it goes,” Thibodeau said.

 

“If you think about the playoffs, you want to increase my minutes just so that I can get used to playing them,” Rose said. “But it’s out of my hands. I would love to play more. But if not, I’m going to wait and take my time.” […] “I pushed myself to attack the rim more,” Rose said. “I’m feeling great.”