high 42 points as the Chicago Bulls headed into the All-Star break with an impressive 109-99 victory over the NBA-leading San Antonio Spurs Thursday. Luol Deng had 19 points and Carlos Boozer finished with 15 for Chicago, which shot 54 percent in its fourth consecutive win. The Bulls improved to 38-16 after winning 41 games last season. Once again hearing “M-V-P! M-V-P!” chants, Rose was at his best when San Antonio challenged Chicago in the fourth quarter. He had 13 points in the final period, answering Spurs baskets with acrobatic drives and long jumpers. He also finished with eight assists and five rebounds. “That was some performance,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said of Rose's contribution. Tony Parker scored 26 points and All-Star Manu Ginobili added 16 for San Antonio. Reserve Gary Neal had 16. Mavericks 112, Suns 106: At Phoenix, Dirk Nowitzki scored 35 points to lead Dallas past Phoenix and to its 13th victory in 14 games. Tyson Chandler had 12 points and 12 rebounds, including a tip-in with 19 seconds left. Jason Terry scored 16, capped by a pair of free throws with 14.1 seconds to play to give Dallas a 111-106 lead. Shawn Marion added 12 points as the Mavericks improved to 9-0 against Pacific Division foes, including 4-0 on the road.
