Deng fires Bulls past Portland
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Luol Deng registered a career-high 40 points to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 110-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.
Deng led the way with 16 points in the first quarter to give his team a 32-21 advantage and the Bulls (2-1) kicked on from there to pick up a second straight win.
Point guard Derrick Rose, who had carried the team with 67 points over the first two games, chipped in with 16 points and 13 assists as Chicago blazed to 60 percent shooting from the field.
"Derrick was terrific," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "He got a fast pace to the game. He got us easy opportunities. He's reading what's happening. They trapped him more and he made the right play."
Elsewhere in the National Basketball Association, it was: Spurs 97, Clippers 88; and Kings 111, Raptors 108.
In Chicago, LaMarcus Aldridge scored a team-high 33 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Blazers (3-1), who suffered their first defeat of the new season.
Portland was looking for its first 4-0 start to the season since the 1999-2000 campaign but was never in contention to match that feat thanks to the hot-shooting Deng.
The Chicago forward made 14-of-19 shots from the field to eclipse his previous career high of 38 points, also scored against the Blazers in 2007.
Portland pulled to within 56-47 at halftime but could get no closer in the second half. Leading scorer Brandon Roy struggled to 17 points on just 4-for-12 shooting.
In Los Angeles, San Antonio beat Los Angeles for the 17th straight time, dropping the Clippers to an 0-4 record.
Tony Parker had 19 points and nine assists for the Spurs, while Richard Jefferson scored 18 points.
San Antonio's reserves outscored their Clippers counterparts 25-0 before Al-Farouq Aminu got the first points by the Los Angeles bench in the fourth quarter.
Eric Gordon had 23 points and a career-high 11 assists for the Clippers, who have won only one of their past 26 against the Spurs.
In Sacramento, the hosts rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat Toronto.
The Kings have won their past five home openers.
Tyreke Evans scored 23 points and Beno Udrih added 17 for Sacramento.
Andrea Bargnani scored 28 points to lead the Raptors.
Meanwhile, All-Star center Al Horford has agreed a five-year contract extension worth US$60 million with the Atlanta Hawks, the player said on Monday.
"It's great to be able to get it done and have peace of mind," the Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted Horford as saying. "At the end of the day, this is what I wanted. I am happy to stay here and keep growing with the team."
The 24-year-old fourth-year center has helped the Hawks reach the postseason in his first three seasons.
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