Carlos Boozer scored 26 of his season-high 31 points in the first half, leading the short-handed Bulls to a 118-97 win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.Boozer hit 12 of 15 shots in the opening half and scored eight points during a 12-point burst that opened up a 20-point lead for the Bulls, who were playing without Derrick Rose for the second straight game because of a sprained left big toe.The Bulls improved to 6-0 at home for the first time since 1996-97, though they allowed more than 74 points to an opponent for the first time at home this season. The Bulls have won their home games by an average margin of 19 points this season.Steve Nash led Phoenix with 25 points and nine assists, but the Suns allowed a fourth straight opponent to top 100 points and lost their fifth game in a row.C.J. Watson scored a season-high 23 points, Luol Deng added 15 and Joakim Noah had 13 points and 12 rebounds, as all five Bulls starters scored in double figures.The Bulls didn’t miss Rose while posting a season-high in points and totaling 31 assists while committing just six turnovers. The Bulls pushed the ball down the floor quickly all night despite the absence of the reigning league MVP, outscoring Phoenix 13-11 in transition and getting a number of open looks on the secondary break. Boozer scored 14 points in the second quarter as the Bulls took a 67-47 lead into the break, a lofty total for a team that averaged 85.4 points in its first five home games. It was the most points the Bulls have scored in a half this season. The Bulls scored the first seven points of the second half, six by Noah, and led by as many as 28 points while cruising to the easy win. Watson quickly took advantage of his first start of the season, scoring 13 points in the opening period. Boozer added 12 as the Bulls shot 72 percent the period, taking a 39-31 lead and posting a season-high for points in a quarter.Nash kept Phoenix close early with 13 points and six assists in the first quarter and the Suns shot 65 percent in the period.Marcin Gortat had 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Suns.

NOTES—Watson was playing just his second game after missing nine because of a left elbow sprain. … Richard Hamilton started for the first time since Jan. 4 and scored 11 points after missing the Bulls’ previous eight games because of a sore left groin. He missed 10 of the last 11 games because of the injury. … Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was celebrating his 54th birthday. When asked before the game what he wanted, he simply said, “A win.” … The Bulls have played 16 games in the first 24 days of the compressed NBA season, more than any other team in the league. They have the next two days off……The Bulls took a 63-62 lead in the all-time series against Phoenix, which started in 1968-69. Tuesday’s game was the only meeting between the clubs this season.

ROSEMONT—Jason Clark scored a career-high 31 points and No. 10 Georgetown dominated the rebounding in an 83-75 victory against DePaul at Allstate Arena on Tuesday night.The Hoyas (15-3, 5-2 Big East) outrebounded DePaul 47-25 and consistently worked inside for second shots. Henry Sims added 16 points and Otto Porter had 15 rebounds for Georgetown.Clark made 11 of 14 shots from the field, including 5 of 7 from behind the 3-point line.Cleveland Melvin scored 19 points and Moses Morgan had 17, including five 3-pointers, for the Blue Demons (10-8, 1-5), who lost their fourth straight.Clark’s dunk on a break with 6:29 left gave the Hoyas a 14-point lead, but DePaul kept scrapping on defense and cut it to seven on a jumper by Morgan with 2:44 left. But Clark made two free throws and Jabril Trawick had a three-point play for the Hoyas.

MEMPHIS—Much different that the January 1st game at the United Center as Rudy Gay scored 24 points and Mike Conley added 20 points and eight assists Monday, leading the Memphis Grizzlies past the Bulls 102-86 and ending their five-game winning streak.The Bulls played without leading scorer Derrick Rose, who missed his second game in the last four with a left toe sprain.This game was never close. Marc Gasol had 19 points and 10 rebounds while Marreese Speights finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for Memphis, which extended its winning streak to three games. Gay was 11 of 18 from the field while Gasol and Conley both hit nine of their 13 shots.Luol Deng led the Bulls with 20 points and C.J. Watson finished with 17 points. Taj Gibson had 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting. Carlos Boozer added 13 points and seven rebounds, but was 5 of 12 from the field. The Bulls shot 42 percent to 54 percent for Memphis.The Bulls defense was awful,much like it was in their other two losses,at Golden State and Atlanta.On New Year’s Day, the Bulls defeated the Grizzlies 104-64.

GREEN BAY—No defending Super Bowl Champ has won a Playoff game since the New England Patriots after their 2004 Title season, That streak is continuing as the New York Giants won their second straight Playoff game at Lambeau Field,beating the Green Bay Packers 37-20. Green Bay was 15-1 in the Regular Season,but they won as many Post Season Games this year as the Bears-ZERO.

This was the Packers first Home Playoff Game in four years.In January 2008,the Giants won in Overtime to win the NFC Title,and advance to Super Bowl 42,where they knocked off New England. With a temperature of 31* and a wind chill in the teens,it was much warmer than last time when it was about 13* and the wind chill was well below zero. Green Bay won the toss,and pulled a ‘Lovie Smith’ by deferring. The Giants had an impressive opening drive,going 67 yards in 13 plays, converting a pair of third downs as Eli Manning hit Mario Manningham and Victor Cruz. Lawrence Tynes kicked a 31 yard field goal with 6:27 elapsed.

Cobb then fumbled on his KO return and Tyler Sash recovered at the GB 21,but the Packers challenged the call on the field,but it was overturned. The Packers drove to the Giants 29,then Aaron Rodgers had a wide oven Jermichael Finley,but overthrew him and Mason Crosby tied the game with a 47 yard field goal.

Again,after the kickoff,Manning converted another third down,then quickly checked off(Good ridence Mike Martz!)and hit Hakeem Nicks in stride and he outran the two safeties 66 yards for the game’s first touchdown. After Tynes kicked the ball out of bounds,the Packers started at their 40 and after picking up a pair of first downs,Rodgers hit Greg Jenning at the NYG 32 where HE fumbled,but the ruling of the field was down by contact.Tom Coughlin’s challenge was not upheld, as the Pack twice dodged fumbles.The first quarter ended with GB on the NYG eight and Rodgers had FB John Kuhn unguarded in the left flat for an easy touchdown to tie the game at 10-10. Crosby then tried an onside kick but Derrick Martin recovered and returned it four yards to the Green Bay 41. This drive halted at the 23 and Tynes 40 yard Field goal try was blocked by Brad Jones. Green Bay took over at it’s own 30.The Giants held and were driving but on a third down,Manning threw a careless pass that Morgan Burnett easily picked off and returned 14 yards to his own 26.Kuhn fumbled and Antrel Rolle scooped it up,returning it 9 yards to the Green Bay 34.Manning found Nicks for 29 yards to the five yard line.Ahmad Bradshaw powered to the one,with Clay Matthews making the stop. Brandon Jacobs was then hit for a 5 yard loss by Desmond Bishop at the two minute warning. After an incompletion in the end zone, Tynes again came on and kicked a 23 yard field goal to put NYG back in front 13-10. The Giants defense sacked Rodgers and forced a punt. With :05 on the clock Manning sent a ‘Hail Mary’ into thr end zone which Nicks caught and the Giants took a 20-10 lead into half time.As the Pack went off the field, the Boos made it sound like Soldier Field!

The Packers were moving on the first drive of the third quarter when Osi Umenyiora forced a Rodgers fumble which Deon Grant recovered at the NYG 36.But after a rather poor spot,the Giants had to punt. A long run by James Starks set up a Crosby 35 yard field goal with 3:50 left in the third quarter to get Green Bay to within 20-13.

The fourth quarter belonged to the G-Men. Tynes kicked a with 7:43 left, then after a Rogers pass was picked off by D.Grant, Manningham took in a 4 yard TD pass from Manning, The Packers got one last score when Rodgers connected with Donald Driver from 16 yards,but the on side kick Green Bay attempted was recovered by Cruz, Brandon Jacobs caps the day off with a 14 yard run.

NOTES—Green Bay only lost six fumbles all season,but the Giants recovered three GB fumbles in this game…..Manning was 21-33 for 330 yards and three touchdowns…..Rodgers was 26-46 for 264 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 int….The Giants play the 49ers for the NFC Title at Candlestick Park this Sunday night….This was only the Packers fourth ever Home Playoff loss, two have been to the Giants.

 LES

Jeremy Robinson scored 29 points to help Chicago State get its first victory of the season, 91-63 over St. Francis (Ill.),albeit against a non-Division One team on Sunday.Robinson made 11 of 14 shots from the field and also had nine rebounds, four blocks and four assists for the Cougars (1-16).Ardarius Simmons added 14 points, Jacobby Anderson had 13, Lee Fisher 12 and Aaron Williams 10.Jordan Lee scored 19 points off the bench for St. Francis (9-7), an NAIA school that was counting the game as an exhibition.Chicago State shot 53 percent from the field, including 9 of 23 shooting on 3-point attempts, and outrebounded the Fighting Saints 40-26.

Derrick Rose had 18 points and 11 assists, leading the Bulls to a 77-64 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.Rose keyed a seven-point burst to open the fourth period, assisting on three straight field goals. John Lucas III hit a 3-pointer and Taj Gibson scored twice, opening up an 11-point lead.Carlos Boozer added 17 points and Luol Deng had 14 points for the Bulls, who won their fifth straight and improved to a league-best 12-2. Taj Gibson scored nine of his 11 points in the fourth.The Bulls are 5-0 at home for the first time since opening the 1996-97 season with seven straight wins at the United Center.They has held their opponents to just 66.8 points game on its home court.DeMar DeRozan and Leandro Barbosa scored 15 points each for Toronto, which dropped its fourth straight.The Bulls played their ninth game in 12 days, something they hadn’t done since 1972, and are 8-1 over that span.Toronto played for the seventh time in nine nights.The Bulls led by four entering the fourth quarter, an unusually close game for a team that had won all four of its home games by an average of 20 points per game.Rose took over with his playmaking, scoring just two points but notching five assists in the final period as the Bulls went on a 19-6 run to start the period.The Raptors didn’t score from the foul line until Linas Kleiza made a free throw with 7:14 to go in the fourth. Toronto was just 1 for 7 from the line in game and was whistled for 15 fouls to only seven for the Bulls,who shot 55 percent and led by 13 points in the opening period, but fell flat in the second, shooting just 30 percent from the floor.Former Bulls player James Johnson capped a 10-2 second quarter surge with a jumper, putting Toronto ahead. Johnson scored 10 points in the first half, surpassing his season high of eight points for a full game.Rose scored seven points in the first quarter and keyed a nine-point run with a pullup 3-pointer in transition as the Bulls jumped out to a 23-14 lead. The game was tied 37-all at the break and the pace didn’t pick up much in the third. Rose scored seven points in the period, but both teams shot under 40 percent.

NOTES—Richard Hamilton (sore left groin) and C.J. Watson (left elbow strain) each missed yet another game…..Tom Thibodeau said he wants to avoid pushing Hamilton, who has missed eight of the last nine games, into action until the 13-year veteran is completely healed…..Watson may return to action as soon as Monday. Thibodeau said he’d like for Watson to go through at least one practice before playing in a game…. The Raptors played without leading scorer Andrea Bargnani for the second straight game because of a left calf strain. Coach Dwane Casey said Bargnani, who is averaging a career-best 22.3 points per game, is as day to day but his injury is not as serious as the Raptors initially feared.. With backup point guard Jerryd Bayless still out with a sprained left ankle, Casey said he will continue to mix wing player Gary Forbes in at the position.. Neither team made a free throw until Carlos Boozer sank one to complete a three-point play with 9:41 to go in the third quarter.

EVANSTON—Perhaps Northwestern should not be counted out of their NCAA Tournament birth ever yet! John Shurna scored 22 points and Northwestern beat No. 6 Michigan State 81-74 on Saturday, ending the Spartans’ 15-game winning streak Drew Crawford added 20 points and Davide Curletti, making his first start of the season, had a season-high 17 for the Wildcats (12-5, 2-3 Big Ten), who rebounded from a tough overtime loss at Michigan three days ago.Michigan State (15-3, 4-1) lost for the first time since it was beaten by Duke in Madison Square Garden on Nov. 15.Keith Appling led the Spartans with 17 points and Draymond Green had 14 points and 14 rebounds. Michigan State shot 65 percent in the first half and then went cold in the second 20 minutes against Northwestern’s zone.The loss was just the fourth in 30 games against NU for Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and left him two shy of 400 career victories.Northwestern fans stormed the court after the victory, perhaps a pivotal one for the Wildcats as they shoot for the first NCAA tournament berth in school history.Crawford hit a jumper and then made a 3-pointer as Northwestern extended its lead to six points five minutes into the second half as the Spartans missed five straight shots.Even after playing good defense, the Spartans had trouble controlling Northwestern.Shurna put up a wild shot to beat the shot clock but teammate Reggie Hearn sailed through the lane and followed it up. Then Curletti broke for the basket on a back door play and dunked to give the Wildcats a seven-point lead with just over 12 minutes left.After such a torrid shooting first half, the Spartans missed 12 of their first 15 field goal attempts in the second. Shurna broke free for a layup and minutes later had a dunk as Northwestern increased the lead to 12 with 8:32 left.State rallied with a 7-0 run started by Travis Trice’s 3-pointer and cut the lead to 69-64 with 5:32 left. But Dave Sobolewski hit two free throws and Shurna made another 3-pointer from the top of the key and the lead was back to 10.Michigan State made nine of its first 10 field goal attempts, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Green hit three straight early 3-pointers and the Spartans led by as many as nine, having little trouble with the Cats defense early.But the second half was a turnaround. The Spartans shot 34.4 percent (11 for 32) in the final 20 minutes and were only 4 for 11 on 3-pointers.

LOUISVILLE—Russ Smith scored 25 points, Chris Smith added 20 and No. 14 Louisville got back on the right track with a 76-59 victory over DePaul on Saturday despite not having leading scorer Kyle Kuric.The Cardinals (14-4, 2-3 Big East) had lost four of their previous five games, but avoided their first three-game home losing streak in 11 years by jumping out to an early lead against the Blue Demons and thwarting a late rally.Kuric, averaging 13 points, sustained a high left ankle sprain in practice earlier this week after the Cardinals had already lost to Providence by 31 points. But Louisville capitalized from the start and used an early 11-0 run to seize control against DePaul.Brandon Young scored 14 points for the Blue Demons (10-7, 1-4), who cut the lead to five points with just under 7 minutes to play but never got closer.Louisville has won eight straight in the series and 20 of the last 22. Gorgui Dieng added 13 points and 14 rebounds for the Cardinals, who shot 50.9 percent from the field after averaging 39.4 percent over their previous five games.Louisville led by nine at halftime and pushed it to 54-50 with 9:44 left when Smith broke out and hit a reverse layup in transition before DePaul would answer.Worrell Clahar hit 3-pointers in consecutive trips, Moses Morgan added another and freshman Derrell Robertson Jr. scored down low to cut it to 56-51. After the teams traded baskets, Louisville responded with a 7-0 spurt that included a short jumper from Rakeem Buckles, a 3-pointer by Chris Smith in the corner and a steal and slam by Peyton Siva that made it 65-53 with 4:35 left.Young hit two more 3s, DePaul’s ninth and 10th of the game, but never got within striking distance in the closing minutes.DePaul’s leading scorer, Cleveland Melvin, finished with eight points, 10.6 less than his season average, and committed six turnovers. The Blue Demons have lost 66 of their last 71 Big East games.The Cardinals got off to the fast start they desperately needed after a 90-59 loss at Providence on Tuesday night. Louisville used an 11-0 run to take an 18-5 lead just over 6 minutes in.Louisville’s Kevin Ware crashed the boards and put back a miss from Chris Smith that made it 27-13 and when DePaul tried to run, the Cardinals defense was ready. Dieng successfully defended a 2-on-1 break by forcing a pass and still blocking Morgan’s shot. Ware stopped another break when he forced Young into an awkward layup attempt, then blocked a shot on the next possession that led to a shot clock violation.In another sequence, Krys Faber grabbed a rebound then threw an outlet pass to Melvin that hit the back of Melvin’s head. Russ Smith collected the loose ball, scored and was fouled, converting the three-point play to make it 34-20 and would lead by as many as 16 before DePaul made it interesting.

Daniel Barnes had 18 points and Gary Talton scored 16 to lift UIC to a 58-51 victory over Loyola on Saturday.All of Barnes’ points came on 3-pointers. He was 6 of 9 behind the arc – the only shots he attempted for the Flames (6-11, 2-5 Horizon League).Darrin Williams added 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds for UIC.Walt Gibler led the Ramblers (5-12, 0-7) with 21 points on 8 of 9 shooting. His basket with 2:33 left got Loyola within 54-51, but the Ramblers didn’t score again. Ben Averkamp had 10 points and nine rebounds for Loyola.

DETROIT—The Detroit Red Wings earned a spot in the franchise’s storied record books with a 14th straight win at home.It wasn’t easy.Todd Bertuzzi scored his second goal Saturday at 4:21 in overtime, lifting the Red Wings to a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks.Detroit’s home winning streak equals the team mark set in 1965.The Red Wings can break the record Monday night against Buffalo.The seven-time Norris Trophy winner was glad Detroit came out on top because his right skate helped send the game to overtime.Jonathan Toews scored his 23rd goal with 51.7 seconds left in the third period, completing a sequence that started with a shot by Marian Hossa that went off Nicklas Lidstrom.The big play gave the Blackhawks a point that will keep them ahead of the Red Wings. “Huge point,” Joel Quenneville said.The Blackhawks began the day atop the tightly contested Central Division — leading St. Louis by a point, Detroit by two points and Nashville by five — and had a chance to end it in third place behind the Blues and Red Wings until they extended the nationally televised matchup.The Red Wings looked as if they might roll toward an easy victory when Pa