In case there was any chance of the Wizards making a comeback in the second half against the Bulls, Derrick Rose was sure to eradicate it. Rose scored 11 points in the quarter, taking over the game and leading Chicago to a 78-57 lead after three quarters.
Rose's performance even spurred many Bulls fans the Verizon Center crowd to chant "MVP" at one point. He wowed the crowd with a nifty reverse layup in transition, then stuck a three-pointer to push the lead to 21 points. He now has 19 points, six assists and five rebounds in the game. Luol Deng and Joakim Noah have 16 points each to supplement Rose.
The Wizards continue to be stymied by a stifling Bulls defense, shooting just 34 percent as a team. Andray Blatche leads the team with 11 points, but is just 4-12 from the field in his first game back from a two-game absence due to a hip injury. To make matters worse, the Bulls are outrebounding the Wizards 42-29.