ATLANTA—Turns out, the Bulls are more than just a one-man team.Derrick Rose sure had plenty of help in this one.Next up: the Eastern Conference final, against Miamiand the Big Three.Carlos Boozer scored 23 points, Rose doled out 12 assists in more of a supporting role and the Bulls cruised past the Atlanta Hawks 93-73 on Thursday night, wrapping up the East semifinal in six games.

“It’s huge for us to get this far,” Rose said. “We’re happy to get the conference finals, but we’re not planning to stop right there.”

The Bulls haven’t been this far since 1998, when Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were on their way to a second three-peat. Pippen sat near the bench, relishing a new generation that’s carried his old team into contention for another championship.

“When we showed up for training camp, we knew we could be special,” Rose said. “We were ready to put in the work and not be concerned with statistics. We just were concerned with winning each night.”

As if to prove his point, Rose took a playoff-low 14 shots and finished with 19 points, his second-lowest total of the postseason. This was a textbook performance by the guys around him, each of them comfortable in a supporting role, each of them willing to do the dirty work at the defensive end.The most impressive number: the Bulls had assists on all but seven of their 31 baskets. Or, come to think of it, maybe it was this stat: The Hawks shot just 37 percent (27-of-74) and rarely got an open look.

“If anything, our defense won this game,” said Rose, who had been averaging nearly 30 points a game in the playoffs.

At the other end, Boozer kept winding up with the ball with no one around, and kept knocking down jump shots. He went 10-of-16 from the field, grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out five assists.

“D-Rose gets so much attention,” said Boozer, who had been bothered by a toe injury and come under criticism at home for inconsistent play. “The 15-footer was open for me. I shot it.”

Luol Deng hit some big baskets early and finished with 13 points, plus five steals. Joakim Noah scored 11 and stifled the Hawks with three blocks. Omer Asik chipped in with two swats of his own. Keith Bogans made only one basket, but it was a big 3-pointer as the Bulls put it away in the third quarter.And, boy, did everyone play some defense.

“What goes underrated about them is the depth of their team,” said Atlanta’s Al Horford, who had a miserable night and a tough series overall. “They just wear on you. They just kept coming, kept coming every game. It seemed like their starters were fresh.”

The Bulls fell on hard times after the glorious M.J. era, including three straight 60-loss seasons. But they have put together a deep, talented team that won more games than anyone during the regular season.Yep, even more than the ballyhooed Heat, whose collection of stars runs three-deep with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who came together in south Florida knowing anything less than a title would be considered a failure.First, they’ll have to get by the Bulls.Game 1 is Sunday in the United Center at 7:05pm.

“It’s going to be a great matchup,” Rose said. “We’re fine with being considered the underdog.”

Atlanta had hoped to extend this series to a Game 7, feeling the pressure would be squarely on the Bulls if it came down to a winner-take-all. But the Visitors squashed those hopes right from the opening tip. The Bulls never trailed, and the lead was 10 by the end of the first quarter.The Hawks had been in that position before. They fell behind by 15 in Game 5, then fought back to lead early in the fourth quarter. The Bulls dominated down the stretch for a 13-point win, but the Bulls weren’t about to cut it that close again.With the loss, Atlanta extended an infamous playoff mark: The Hawks have never advanced past the second round since moving from St. Louis in 1968.Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 19 points. Josh Smith was the only other player in double figures with 18. The Hawks went 1-of-11 from beyond the 3-point arc.Deng went down early, landing hard after Smith got a piece of him going for the block. Deng was OK, staying in the game to shoot a pair of free throws after a timeout.Then Atlanta got its own scare early in the second quarter. Jeff Teague, the fill-in point guard who had been the surprise of the series, had a nasty fall along the baseline. He went straight to the X-ray room, his right arm dangling limply beside him as he trotted off in obvious pain.Nothing was broken, but it turned out both wrists were sprained. He returned late in the second quarter all taped up, but it didn’t help much. During breaks, he rubbed at the tape and kept flexing his wrist. The second-year player wasn’t a factor, scoring just 4 points on 2-of-6 shooting.But he was hardly the only one who struggled. Horford, who had been named to the All-NBA third team earlier in the day, went 2-of-10. So did Jamal Crawford, the victim of persistent double-teaming ever since he had a big game in Atlanta’s surprising Game 1 win.The Bulls led by as many as 17 in the first half, with Boozer leading the way. He had 13 points, four rebounds and two assists at the break.Atlanta made a late surge, the crowd on its feet when Smith pulled off a spectacular dunk on a lob from Johnson – despite getting a shove from Noah as he was soaring toward the hoop.But a big call went against Smith, costing the Hawks a chance to cut the gap to single figures before halftime. He scored off another fast break, and the referees had to confer before ruling the Rose had drawn the offensive foul. Smith grabbed his head in disbelief and pleaded with the officials, to no avail.The Bulls settled for a 45-35 halftime lead and never let the margin below double figures over the final two quarters.

NOTES—The Hawks stuck with their big lineup, starting Jason Collins at center for the third straight game and bringing swingman Marvin Williams off the bench….Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau on Atlanta C Zaza Pachulia, who’s been accused of going down a little too easily trying to draw fouls: “He sells. That’s all I’ll say: he sells.”

Unbeaten Jaime Garcia pitched seven effective innings and Matt Holliday homered to start an early burst Thursday that sent the St. Louis Cardinals to a 9-1 victory over the Cubs.Garcia (5-0), who carried a perfect game into the eighth in his previous start against Milwaukee, allowed one run and nine hits. He complemented his 84-pitch outing on an 84-degree day at Wrigley Field by hitting an RBI single.St. Louis finished with 16 hits and took two of three in the series without manager Tony La Russa, who is back in St. Louis recovering from shingles.Holliday led off a five-run second with his fifth homer, a long shot off Casey Coleman (1-3) that cleared the bleachers in left field. Colby Rasmus singled, Yadier Molina doubled and with one out, the Cubs intentionally walked Tyler Greene to load the bases.But Garcia foiled that strategy with an RBI single, Jon Jay followed with a two-run double and Allen Craig hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0. Molina hit an RBI single in the fifth for a six-run cushion.Garcia blanked the Cubs until the sixth when Marlon Byrd, Aramis Ramirez and Jeff Baker hit consecutive singles. Carlos Pena drew a walk that loaded the bases with one out, but Garcia retired Alfonso Soriano on a popup and struck out Wellington Castillo.The Cardinals added three in the seventh as Greene and Nick Punto had RBI doubles and Jay had an RBI single. Jay had three hits and drove in three runs.Coleman, making his sixth start with regular rotation members Randy Wells and Andrew Cashner still on the disabled list, lasted only 4 1/3 innings, giving up nine hits and six runs with four walks.

NOTES—Even though La Russa missed his third straight game, his presence was still felt pregame. Pitcher Kyle Lohse dressed up in a La Russa jersey and was gesturing and wearing sunglasses that made him look like the manager. Lohse presented the lineup card at home plate and his teammates were applauding, laughing and offering high-fives when he returned to the dugout….Ryan Theriot sat out, resting a sore oblique muscle. Greene played short. Craig, primarily an outfielder with one inning of major league experience at second base, got the start at second. Punto entered the game in the sixth to replace him. RF Lance Berkman also got the day off following a night game…..Baker, primarily an infielder, started in right for the Cubs and had three hits.

ANAHEIM—Alexei Ramirez scored the tiebreaking run from third base when Angels reliever Kevin Jepsen threw a wild pitch during an intentional walk in the 10th inning, and the White Sox rallied from a late three-run deficit for a 6-4 victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday night.Adam Dunn homered among his career-high four hits and scored on Brent Lillibridge’s sacrifice fly moments after Jepsen (0-2) comically sailed a throw over the head of catcher Hank Conger, who had stood up while the Angels intentionally walked Paul Konerko.Jake Peavy gave up seven hits and four runs over six innings in his solid return from a 10-month absence for major shoulder surgery for the White Sox.The Sox stranded a season-high 15 runners, but still took two of three games from the Angels with an impressive late rally to win back-to-back series for the first time this season.Omar Vizquel had an RBI double in the eighth inning and a tying sacrifice fly in the ninth for the White Sox. A.J. Pierzynski also had four hits and drove in a run during the ninth-inning rally against Angels closer Jordan Walden, who blew his second save chance.Jepsen then struggled in his first appearance since getting recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake earlier Wednesday following a monthlong banishment to the minors for a poor start to the season.Sergio Santos (2-0) allowed one hit over two innings in his 13th straight scoreless appearance to start the season. Matt Thornton pitched the 10th for his first save.Torii Hunter tripled and drove in two runs for the Angeles, while Erick Aybar and Alberto Callaspo had RBI singles. Rookie Tyler Chatwood repeatedly escaped jams while pitching into the seventh inning, but his relievers found nothing but trouble, giving up five runs in the final three innings.Peavy, the 2007 NL Cy Young award winner, looked good in his first appearance since July 6, 2010, when he detached a muscle in his right shoulder while facing the Angels. The two-time All-Star led the majors in ERA in 2004 and 2007, also leading the majors in strikeouts that year.Peavy was activated from the disabled list earlier Wednesday after five rehabilitation starts in the minors. He wasn’t overly impressive in his first 20 starts for the White Sox, who acquired him from San Diego in July 2009, but manager Ozzie Guillen is confident he’s back to full strength.Maicer Izturis scored in the first inning when Juan Pierre couldn’t close his glove on Hunter’s drive to left. Dunn connected in the third inning for just his second homer since April 15, but Howie Kendrick stretched the Angels’ lead to 4-1 when he scored on Callaspo’s two-out single in the sixth.Vizquel’s double off Fernando Rodney in the eighth trimmed the Angels’ lead, but Ramirez was called out moments later with two runners on. Guillen vehemently argued the call by plate umpire Dan Bellino, who said Ramirez got in Conger’s way when Vizquel attempted to steal third.But the White Sox rallied in the ninth against Walden, who walked Dunn on four pitches to lead it off. After Carlos Quentin and Pierzynski singled and Alex Rios walked, Vizquel’s fly to center easily scored Quentin.

NOTES—Vizquel replaced Mark Teahen, who left in the seventh inning with a mild strain of his right oblique muscle. … Before the game, Los Angeles placed RHP Francisco Rodriguez on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder soreness and recalled Jepsen. … First base coach Harold Baines missed the game for personal reasons. Mike Gellinger filled in for him.

Matt Garza got his first win at Wrigley Field as the Cubs delivered their biggest offensive output of the season Wednesday night to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 11-4.The Cubs scored six runs in the third after a 53-minute rain delay, added four more in the fifth and finished with 17 hits, four by Starlin Castro. The runs were the most the Cubs had scored this season and the hits tied a season high.The Cards dropped to 1-1 without manager Tony La Russa, who missed his second straight game as he recovers from shingles. He’ll be absent for the remainder of St. Louis’ six-game road swing that ends Sunday in Cincinnati.Garza (2-4) went five innings, allowing three hits and a run in his fifth start in the Cubs’ home ballpark. He struck out seven, including the side in the fourth after the long delay following a thunderstorm and the Cubs’ biggest inning of the season.Castro, the Cubs’ 21-year-old shortstop who’d been in a 2-for-25 slump when the series began, went 4 for 4 with three RBI.St. Louis starter Jake Westbrook (2-3) became unglued following the rain delay, when the Cubs batted around. Westbrook gave up one-out singles to Kosuke Fukudome and Darwin Barney and hit Marlon Byrd to load the bases. Aramis Ramirez delivered an RBI single and Carlos Pena followed with a two-run double to finish the Cards’ starter. Castro greeted reliever Jason Motte with an RBI single and when center fielder Colby Rasmus missed the ball, Castro sprinted to third on the two-base error. Alfonso Soriano then hit an RBI single, becoming the seventh straight Cubs batter to reach.In 2 1/3 innings, Westbrook gave up six hits — four after the rain delay — and was charged with five runs.The Cubs added four in the fifth, using run-scoring triples from Castro and Koyie Hill against reliever Ryan Franklin. Albert Pujols had a two-run single as the Cards scored three against Jeff Samardzija in the seventh.St. Louis also cut down two potential runs at the plate. Rasmus made a strong throw and Gerald Laird applied the tag on Ramirez as he tried to score from second on Castro’s single to center in the second. Matt Holliday’s great throw from left nailed Fukudome as he attempted to score on Byrd’s single in the fourth.

NOTES—Acting Cardinals manager Joe Pettini said he’d talked twice on Wednesday to La Russa, who was headed back to St. Louis from a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona where he was examined. La Russa and Pettini discussed the Cards’ lineup. … Geovany Soto was placed on the DL on Wednesday after straining his groin the night before in the first inning. Soto said he did a split while catching a pitch as Holliday was batting in the opening inning. Soto will eventually got to the team’s training base in Mesa, Ariz., to rehab. … … Westbrook’s outing was his shortest since May 2, 2007, when he left a start with Cleveland after 1 1/3 innings with an abdominal injury. Earlier this season he went only three innings against the Nationals.

Derrick Rose scored 33 points, Luol Deng added 23 and the Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks 95-83 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead.Taj Gibson had 11 points — all in the fourth quarter. Rose also scored 11 in the fourth, and the Bulls pounded the Hawks 26-15 in the quarter.Game 6 is Thursday in Atlanta, and the Bulls are one win from its first conference finals appearance since 1998, when Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen wrapped up their second championship three-peat.Rose showed why he is the league’s youngest MVP, hitting 11-of-24 shots and finishing with nine assists. It was a big improvement over Game 4 when he needed 32 shots to score 34 points.That was enough to offset another strong performance by Atlanta’s Jeff Teague. Filling in for the injured Kirk Hinrich, he delivered his third 21-point game of the series.Josh Smith scored 16 points for the Hawks, while Joe Johnson had 15 and Al Horford added 12 points and 10 rebounds.It hasn’t been an easy postseason for the Bulls after they stormed to a league-leading 62 wins. They got pushed by Indiana in the first round and are getting all they can handle from the Hawks, yet they are in a good position thanks to a strong fourth quarter.The Bulls led by as many as 15 points in the first quarter but were trailing 70-69 early in the fourth when they went on a 9-0 run.Rose started it when he drove to his left for a layup, fed Gibson a no-look pass in transition for a three-point play and added a layup that made it 78-70. Then, midway through the fourth, he drove for a three-point play that made it 85-76. Fans were screeching “MVP! MVP!” as he buried the free throw, and after Atlanta pulled within six, the Bulls reeled eight straight to make it 93-79, with six points coming from Gibson.The late run aside, it wasn’t an easy night for the Bulls.Considering the Bulls got 15 points each from Rose and Deng in the first half and led by as many as 15, the Hawks were probably glad to be trailing 48-42 at halftime. They kept coming at the Bulls in the third quarter.Things got particularly tense after a two-handed dunk by Smith cut the lead to 61-60 with just more than four minutes left in the period. He hung on the rim and Boozer gave him a forearm to the face, leading to a retaliatory shove from Smith and technical fouls for both players.Smith gave the Hawks their first lead of the game when he nailed a jumper that made it 64-63 with 1:45 remaining. Deng answered with a jumper and hit two free throws after Horford scored to make it 67-66.Pachulia then hit an 11-footer with 9.8 seconds left before Gibson drove upcourt and fed Ronnie Brewer to give the Bulls a 69-68 lead going into the fourth.The Bulls were in sync in the early going. They moved the ball and it paid off in drives or open jumpers, with the Bulls hitting 13-of-23 shots to build a 32-21 lead.Deng scored 11 in the quarter, including the Bulls first seven points.Rose had nine points with four assists, and Keith Bogans provided a spark, scoring eight in the period. He hit two 3-pointers, drove for a reverse layup and took an offensive foul against Jamal Crawford in just over a two-minute span late in the first quarter as the Bulls increased the lead to 32-17.

NOTES—The Hawks went big again, with coach Larry Drew sticking with the lineup that helped them win Game 4. Jason Collins starting at center, Horford at power forward and Smith at small forward, with Marvin Williams in a reserve role…..Bogans, who sprained his right ankle in Game 4, was limited to shooting free throws at the morning shootaround for precautionary reasons…..Tom Thibodeau was encouraged by what he saw from Boozer in Game 4 and thought the 18-point performance could be a turning point. “I think he’s getting healthier, and we need his low-post scoring and his rebounding,” Thibodeau said. “As he’s feeling better, I think he’ll play better.”

Daniel Descalso hit a two-out, bases-loaded single in the eighth off Kerry Wood and Albert Pujols had four hits Tuesday night, helping Chris Carpenter get his first win of the season as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cubs 6-4.St. Louis pulled out the victory without manager Tony La Russa, who was undergoing tests at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. General manager John Mozeliak said the veteran manager had been diagnosed with shingles and wasn’t sure when he’d be back. Bench coach Joe Pettini ran the team. Carpenter (1-2) allowed four runs and 13 singles over seven innings to get his first win since last Sept. 30. He threw 116 pitches to earn the win in his eighth start of the season. Eduardo Sanchez pitched the ninth for his fourth save in as many chances.Carlos Zambrano went seven innings, giving up eight hits and four runs.St. Louis loaded the bases off Wood (1-2) in the eighth. Pujols singled, Matt Holliday walked and after both runners moved up on a fly ball, Wood intentionally walked Yadier Molina. Nick Punto lined out before Descalso, the No. 8 hitter, delivered his hit to right.The Cubs had scored two in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game.After the Cubs loaded the bases for the third time in the game, Carlos Pena hit a sacrifice fly. Starlin Castro, in a 2-for-25 slump entering the game and dropped to seventh in the batting order, then dumped an RBI single to right.The Cards went ahead with two in the fourth, a rally cut short by a successful appeal play from the Cubs on an apparent sacrifice fly by Descalso turned into an inning-ending double play.Lance Berkman walked and scored on Molina’s double to tie the game at 2. Punto then hit a liner to left that Alfonso Soriano ducked down on, apparently losing the ball in the lights, and the ball went all the way to the wall with Molina scoring and Punto getting a triple.When Descalso hit a medium fly ball to center, Punto beat Marlon Byrd’s throw to the plate. But the Cubs threw to third where umpire Paul Nauert ruled that Punto left too soon and was out, a call that brought Pettini out to question the call.St. Louis tacked on a run in the seventh on a pair of singles, sacrifice by Carpenter and sacrifice fly by former Cub Ryan Theriot. With runners at second and third, Theriot hit a liner to right. Kosuke Fukudome made a strong throw to the plate, but Koyie Hill, who’d entered the game in the first when Geovany Soto left with a groin strain, couldn’t handle it as Punto scored for a 4-2 lead.The Cubs loaded the bases twice in the first. Carpenter walked leadoff batter Fukudome and Darwin Barney and Marlon Byrd followed with singles to load the bases. Aramis Ramirez hit a two-run single to center and the Cubs loaded the bases again before Hill popped out.Zambrano also got out of a big jam in the first with just one run scoring on Holliday’s RBI single. Zambrano issued an intentional walk to Berkman to load the bases before Molina grounded into an inning-double play.

NOTES—Theriot, who played on Cubs’ division winners in 2007 and 2008, was booed every at-bat, the aftermath of comments he made in December that he was now on “the right side” of the rivalry. … Jon Jay, who entered as a pinch hitter for Carpenter in the eighth and then went to right field, made a great catch on Blake DeWitt’s liner to start the bottom of the eighth.

ANAHEIM—Alberto Callaspo drove in three runs and Maicer Izturis homered for the Los Angeles Angels in a 6-2 victory over the White Sox on Tuesday night.Joel Pineiro (2-0) allowed two runs and eight hits over 7 2-3 innings in his third start. The right-hander, whose season was delayed because of a sore shoulder, struck five and walked one in his home debut. Fernando Rodney got the final out of the eighth inning and Scott Downs finished up with a perfect ninth.John Danks (0-6) gave up six runs and 10 hits in five innings, raising his ERA to 4.50. The left-hander became the first White Sox pitcher to lose his first six decisions in a season since 1987, when Neil Allen was 0-7 in 10 starts before getting demoted to the bullpen by manager Jim Fregosi.

A person familiar with the situation says Northwestern and coach Pat Fitzgerald have agreed to a new contract, finalizing a deal that’s been in the works for several months.The person spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on condition of anonymity because a formal announcement will not be made until Tuesday.The length of the contract was not clear, although the person says it’s “significant.” Fitzgerald was already under contract through 2015, but is getting a new deal after leading the Wildcats to a 34-29 record over five seasons and bowl appearances the past three years. Northwestern went 7-6 in 2010 and lost to Texas Tech in the TicketCity Bowl. An All-American linebacker in the 1990s, Fitzgerald helped the Wildcats reach the Rose Bowl but missed that game because of a broken leg.

ANAHEIM—Edwin Jackson pitched seven superb innings for his first victory in more than a month, Carlos Quentin homered and drove in five runs, and the White Sox routed the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 8-0 on Monday night.Jackson (3-4) scattered five hits, struck out five and walked one after going winless in his previous five starts since beating Tampa Bay 5-1 on April 7. The right-hander finally got some run support after four consecutive outings in which his teammates failed to score while he was in the game.Gordon Beckham and Alexei Ramirez also homered for the White Sox, who have won three straight for the first time this season.Ervin Santana (1-4) gave up five runs and eight hits in six-plus innings, including Beckham’s two-run homer in the second and Ramirez’s leadoff drive in the seventh. Both home runs came on the first pitch.In Santana’s previous start last Wednesday at Boston, the right-hander pitched no-hit ball through four innings before a 2-hour, 35-minute rain delay ended his night.Quentin, who had a pair of two-out, run-scoring doubles in the third and fifth, made it 8-0 in the seventh against reliever Trevor Bell with his eighth home run after the right-hander relieved Santana and gave up a double to Adam Dunn and a walk to Paul Konerko.The Angels,  shut out in each of Santana’s last three losses, got only one runner as far as third base against Jackson. That was in the fourth, when Vernon Wells stranded Bobby Abreu with a grounder to third. Wells pulled up limping less than halfway down the line and had to come out because of a groin strain.Jackson got into another jam in the sixth, but Torii Hunter ended the threat by grounding into a double play for the 12th time this season, the most in the majors.Chris Sale and Will Ohman each worked an inning to finish the six-hitter.

NOTES—Jake Peavy, who had another bullpen session Monday, is scheduled to come off the disabled list Wednesday to make his season debut in the series finale. The 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner hasn’t pitched for the Sox since July 6, 2010, when he pitched against the Angels and came out after 1 2/3 innings because of a shoulder injury that required surgery. … Wells is batting .183 with four home runs and 13 RBI in 35 games. The three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove outfielder was acquired from Toronto on Jan. 21 with four years and $86 million remaining on a $126 million, seven-year contract he signed with the Blue Jays. … Santana notched his 900th career strikeout when he got Alex Rios swinging to end the fifth inning. … Angels 2B Howie Kendrick, who is 1 for 13 against Jackson, was not in the starting lineup for only the second time in the team’s first 36 games. He entered in the fifth, as Alexi Amarista shifted to LF following Wells’ injury.

ATLANTA—Josh Smith had 23 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists, and Jeff Teague came up with another big game to lead the Atlanta Hawks past the Bulls 100-88 Sunday night, evening the Eastern Conference semifinals at two games apiece.The Hawks snapped a nine-game home losing streak in the second round of the playoffs, their misery dating to a May 13, 1996, win against Orlando.Smith, frequently criticized by Atlanta fans for his inconsistent play, stayed away from the outside jumpers, dominated on the inside and found the open man with crisp passes. Teague has been an even bigger surprise filling in for injured Kirk Hinrich, scoring 12 points and dishing out four assists.The game was tied 84-84 but the Hawks then finished the game on a 16-4 win as the Bulls went stoned cold and Atlanta scored at will in the final few minutes.Game 5 is Tuesday night in the United Center.