Bulls rout previously unbeaten Pacers

Britain's Luol Deng scored 23 points and Derrick Rose added 20 in his return from injury to power the Chicago Bulls over previously unbeaten Indiana 110-94. The Pacers, who fell to 9-1, had been the NBA's last undefeated team and the first club to win so many games to start a season since the Dallas Mavericks in 2002. But a night after the Pacers ripped Milwaukee, the host Bulls outplayed Indiana from the start, seizing a 31-20 lead after the first quarter and a 60-35 half-time advantage. Chicago's biggest lead of the night was 33 points before the Bulls, 5-3, benched their stars and left the reserves to finish off their fourth win in a row. Bulls playmaker Rose, who had not practiced since injuring his right hamstring in a victory Monday over Cleveland, was named a starter shortly before the game and showed he was ready to return with a solid performance, hitting 6-of-11 shots from 3-point range and 7-of-16 overall in 31 minutes on the court. Roy Hibbert had 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Pacers, who had seven double-figure scorers. Source: AFP