NBA 2014-15: Derrick Rose roars for Chicago Bulls to hold off Denver Nuggets

DERRICK Rose was unstoppable in the final quarter for Chicago, while Minnesota started its new year by losing a 10th game in a row. FULL NBA WRAP HERE.

Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose (1) goes up to shoot against Denver Nuggets' Kenneth Faried (35) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015. Chicago won 106-101. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

DERRICK Rose was unstoppable in the final quarter for Chicago, while Minnesota started its new year by losing its 10th game in a row.

It was a quiet day in the NBA, but the two games on offer went right down to the wire.

Catch up on all the action in our daily wrap below.

AUSSIES IN ACTION

Cameron Bairstow was the only Australian whose team took the court on New Year’s Day, but the young power forward wasn’t among the Bulls activated in the 106-101 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Bairstow’s Christmas present was one minute of court time against the LA Lakers on Christmas Day, but that’s the only time he’s been required in the Bulls’ last 10 games.

Bairstow, who has been linked to a possible trade for Phoenix’s Gerald Green, has seen just 11 minutes of court time since the start of December.

BULLS 106 — NUGGETS 101

Derrick Rose scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Chicago Bulls beat the Denver Nuggets 106-101.

Jimmy Butler scored 26 for Chicago and Pau Gasol added 17 points, nine rebounds and a career-high nine blocks.

The late surge by Rose lifted the Bulls to their 11th win in 13 games. The 2011 NBA MVP missed his first eight shots, including all seven in a scoreless first half, but the point guard dominated down the stretch, coming up with one big basket after another.

Wilson Chandler led Denver with 22 points. Ty Lawson scored 20, while Arron Afflalo had 19 points. Kenneth Faried added 18 points and 19 rebounds, but the Nuggets fell to 4-12 on the road.

Chicago’s Jimmy Butler dunks during the second half against Denver.

Chicago, which trailed by 13 early in the third, was clinging to a 100-97 lead after Denver’s Jusuf Nurkic scored on a layup with 46 seconds left.

Rose then nailed a jumper, and the Bulls hung on despite Faried dunking with 22 seconds remaining to get the Nuggets within three again. Chicago’s Aaron Brooks hit two free throws to make it a five-point game before Nurkic hit two of his own after he got fouled trying to dunk on Taj Gibson with 11 seconds left.

Rose then hit two more foul shots to make it 106-101.

The Bulls were trailing 74-70 late in the third quarter when Gasol blocked Nurkic. Butler then got fouled and hit two free throws, sparking a nine-point run.

The crowd came unglued when Kirk Hinrich nailed a three from the corner with 16 seconds left, giving the Bulls a three-point lead, and Gasol capped the run with a running hook to make it 79-74 22 seconds into the fourth.

Sacramento Kings forward Derrick Williams reacts after dunking during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

KINGS 110 — TIMBERWOLVES 107

The Sacramento Kings handed the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves their 10th straight loss with a 110-107 victory on New Year’s Day.

Rudy Gay had 21 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Kings and DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and seven rebounds after being ejected one night earlier.

The Kings shot at an impressive 54 per cent while each of their starters scored in double figures. Darren Collison scored 21 points and Derrick Williams had 17 points, including a big three-pointer down the stretch.

Andrew Wiggins had 27 points and nine rebounds for the Timberwolves, but they couldn’t take advantage when Cousins and Gay both fouled out in the fourth quarter. Troy Daniels’ three-point attempt on the final buzzer was partially blocked.

Gorgui Dieng added 15 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, and Shabazz Muhammad also scored 15.

DeMarcus Cousins gets some close attention from Timberwolves forward Thaddeus Young and Gorgui Dieng.

The Kings were one of the feel-good stories of the first month of the season, with coach Michael Malone instilling a new commitment to defence and getting Cousins to harness his hair-trigger temper while they put together a 9-5 start. But Cousins was sidelined with meningitis and Malone was surprisingly fired on December 15.

Sacramento is just 2-6 in its first eight games without Malone, including a 22-point loss in Boston earlier this week in which Cousins was ejected after tussling with Celtics rookie Marcus Smart.

A loss to the lowly Timberwolves (5-26) may have been rock bottom, especially with how Sacramento was humming on offence early.

The Kings hit 78 per cent of their shots in a 37-point first quarter, but led by a modest eight points thanks to six turnovers and allowing the Wolves to shoot 57 per cent themselves.

Sacramento led 81-68 midway through the third quarter, but Gay fouled out with 4:21 to play and Cousins picked up his sixth foul less than two minutes later.

Wiggins scored on a drive and a spin move and Thaddeus Young hit two free throws to tie the game at 99 with four minutes to go.

Then Williams, the former Timberwolves No. 2 overall draft pick, responded with a three-pointer that put Sacramento up for good.

Originally published as NBA 2014-15: Derrick Rose roars for Chicago Bulls to hold off Denver Nuggets