The Atlanta Hawks were unable to come back from an 18-point halftime deficit as the sharpshooting of Jannero Pargo helped close the lead to just 5 points late in the fourth quarter before ultimately losing 90-82 to the Chicago Bulls.
Derrick Rose made his triumphant return to the Bulls lineup by scoring 23 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds on Presidents Day in the United Center. The Bulls were dominant on the boards as Joakim Noah led all players with 16 rebounds along with 5 points. Carlos Boozer also chipped in with 16 points and 5 rebounds.
As we mentioned Pargo earlier, the combo guard came off the bench to lead the Hawks in scoring with 19 points to go along with 5 rebounds. Josh Smith had another strong all-around game with 17 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. However, Smith struggled mightily with his shot going 7-of-21 from the field.
Joe Johnson also struggled and was held out of the game for the remainder of the fourth quarter for undisclosed reasons. Johnson finished with 12 points in 26 minutes.
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