The Bulls had a lot to be happy about Tuesday night.
Not only did they beat the Bucks 117-106, they got a solid game from everyone — including Derrick Rose — as they notched their fifth consecutive victory and maintained second place in the Eastern Conference.
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Rose played well in his return after missing three games with hamstring and knee soreness. The 2011 NBA MVP had 16 points and six assists, nicely complementing Jimmy Butler's 32-point, 10-assist performance.
Rose picked his spots and allowed the offense to flow through Butler, but he also showed off some impressive quickness for someone who had been experiencing soreness in his lower body.
Pau Gasol added 26 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots for the Bulls. Chicago shot 55.4 percent from the field.
With Cleveland rounding in to shape, the more Chicago can maintain that offensive balance, the better chance it'll have to contend for the conference crown.
Studs of the Night
DeMarcus Cousins had another big night for the Kings, who fell 117-116 in double overtime to the Mavs. Cousins had 35 points, 17 rebounds, four assists and six steals. He did have 10 turnovers to complete an unconventional triple-double. He's averaging 34 points and 18 rebounds in his last two games.
Klay Thompson took over as the alpha guard for the Warriors on Tuesday. Thompson scored 36 points, hitting six of his 12 attempts from the 3-point line, as the Warriors easily disposed of the Lakers 109-88.
Duds of the Night
Already down by 15 after halftime, the Lakers were outscored 30-13 by the Warriors in the third quarter. In fact, Thompson by himself outscored the Kobe Bryant- and D'Angelo Russell-less Lakers 14-13 in the period. Yeah, it was that bad.
Tweet of the Night
No, Dirk. Just, no.
Legs. Gone. https://t.co/NiTVUctOkv
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) January 6, 2016Looking ahead
Cavaliers (23-9) at Wizards (15-17), 7 p.m. ET: The Wizards have taken a step back this season, and the Cavs look to be getting better, so don't expect an upset. This game will still be fun to watch, just to see if Kyrie Irving can flash his All-Star form for a second game in a row, especially against John Wall, who questioned the validity of Irving being ahead of him in the All-Star balloting. Follow Wednesday's full slate on the NBA scoreboard.