Hawks Vs. Bulls Score: Derrick Rose Scores 16, Chicago Leads 48-37 At The Half

Chicago used a tenacious defensive effort and an attacking offense to slow down the Atlanta Hawks on their way to a 48-37 halftime lead. Derrick Rose had 16 points, five rebounds, five assists in the first half. Rose was 6-14 from the field in the first half but found his way to the basket enough to have a big impact. The story for the Bulls though has been their defense as they have forced Atlanta into much tougher shots during the first half of Game 2.

Without Jeff Teague, Atlanta would be in major trouble. Teague leads the Hawks with 12 first half points and also has two steals. Jamal Crawford came off the bench to score eight points but is only 2-7 from the field. Joe Johnson scored seven points for the Hawks who only shot 32% in the first half.

Joakim Noah helped set the tone for Chicago and has done much of the dirty work in this game. Noah has 12 points and eight rebounds for the Bulls. On the other hand, Josh Smith had a forgettable first half for the Hawks going 0-6 from the field while collecting three personal fouls. If Atlanta hopes to pull off an upset they will need something positive from Smith in the second half.