CHICAGO — Jrue Holiday scored 26 points and Lou Williams added 20 as Philadelphia beat Chicago 109-92 on Tuesday night to level their first-round playoff series in the Bulls’ first game since Derrick Rose’s season-ending knee injury.
The point guard received a standing ovation and waved to the crowd as he limped onto the court to present the game ball, then watched from the stands as the 76ers outscored Chicago 36-14 in the third quarter to take an 83-69 lead.
Game 3 is Friday in Philadelphia.
Joakim Noah led the Bulls with 21 points and eight rebounds and John Lucas III scored 15 points.
Rose missed 27 games during the regular season because of a variety of injuries, and the Bulls went 18-9 in those games.
CELTICS 87, HAWKS 80
At Atlanta, Paul Pierce had 36 points and 14 rebounds as Boston wiped out Atlanta’s 11-point lead in the second half even without point guard Rajon Rondo.
The series is level at 1-1. Game 3 is Friday night in Boston, and Rondo will be back for that one having sat out a one-game suspension for bumping an official in the opener.
The Hawks took a 65-54 lead late in the third quarter. But Boston sliced it to 66-61 by the end of the period. Pierce hit his first 3-pointer of the series after missing 10 to stretch the lead to 79-72 with 3½ minutes left.
Pierce finished 12 of 26 from the field and dropped to his knee and Tebowed after a free throw that locked it up with just a minute to go.
Kevin Garnett had 15 points and 12 rebounds for Boston. Joe Johnson had 22 points for Atlanta.
LAKERS 104, NUGGETS 100
At Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 38 points to lead Los Angeles over Denver and to a 2-0 series lead.
Andrew Bynum followed up his playoff-opening triple-double with 27 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who still haven’t trailed in this series despite but had some anxious moments in the closing stages as the Nuggets and Ty Lawson, who scored 25 points, went on a fourth-quarter charge.
Los Angeles’ 19-point lead in the third quarter dwindled to four with 3 minutes to play, but Ramon Sessions scored four key points in the final 1:14 before Bryant’s icing free throws with 9.4 seconds left.
The Nuggets lost their ninth straight road playoff game. Game 3 is Friday in Denver. /ap
CHICAGO — Jrue Holiday scored 26 points and Lou Williams added 20 as Philadelphia beat Chicago 109-92 on Tuesday night to level their first-round playoff series in the Bulls’ first game since Derrick Rose’s season-ending knee injury.
The point guard received a standing ovation and waved to the crowd as he limped onto the court to present the game ball, then watched from the stands as the 76ers outscored Chicago 36-14 in the third quarter to take an 83-69 lead.
Game 3 is Friday in Philadelphia.
Joakim Noah led the Bulls with 21 points and eight rebounds and John Lucas III scored 15 points.
Rose missed 27 games during the regular season because of a variety of injuries, and the Bulls went 18-9 in those games.
CELTICS 87, HAWKS 80
At Atlanta, Paul Pierce had 36 points and 14 rebounds as Boston wiped out Atlanta’s 11-point lead in the second half even without point guard Rajon Rondo.
The series is level at 1-1. Game 3 is Friday night in Boston, and Rondo will be back for that one having sat out a one-game suspension for bumping an official in the opener.
The Hawks took a 65-54 lead late in the third quarter. But Boston sliced it to 66-61 by the end of the period. Pierce hit his first 3-pointer of the series after missing 10 to stretch the lead to 79-72 with 3½ minutes left.
Pierce finished 12 of 26 from the field and dropped to his knee and Tebowed after a free throw that locked it up with just a minute to go.
Kevin Garnett had 15 points and 12 rebounds for Boston. Joe Johnson had 22 points for Atlanta.
LAKERS 104, NUGGETS 100
At Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 38 points to lead Los Angeles over Denver and to a 2-0 series lead.
Andrew Bynum followed up his playoff-opening triple-double with 27 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who still haven’t trailed in this series despite but had some anxious moments in the closing stages as the Nuggets and Ty Lawson, who scored 25 points, went on a fourth-quarter charge.
Los Angeles’ 19-point lead in the third quarter dwindled to four with 3 minutes to play, but Ramon Sessions scored four key points in the final 1:14 before Bryant’s icing free throws with 9.4 seconds left.
The Nuggets lost their ninth straight road playoff game. Game 3 is Friday in Denver. /ap