Horford, Hawks stay perfect with win over Bulls

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11/11/2008 - Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Al Horford scored 27 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, and Mike Bibby scored 22 points as the Atlanta Hawks remained unbeaten with a 113-108 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Joe Johnson scored 17 points and had eight rebounds, and Maurice Evans added 17 points off the bench for Atlanta which, at 6-0, is off to its best start since winning the first 11 games of the 1997-98 campaign.

No. 1 overall pick Derrick Rose continued to prove his worth, as he led all Bulls scorers with 26 points and ripped down 10 boards. Luol Deng had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago, which has dropped two in a row and four of five.

Ben Gordon added 19 points for the Bulls, who lost on the day when guard Kirk Hinrich had surgery on his right thumb. Hinrich, who suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb in the third quarter of Friday's win over Phoenix, could be out as long as three months.

Chicago rallied from 13 points down in the third quarter to pull within two early in the fourth, only to see Atlanta pull away. Two Deng free throws cut the Bulls' deficit to 85-83 with 9:59 to play, but Marvin Williams sank two free throws, and Bibby drained consecutive threes to push the Hawks up 93-83 with 8:51 remaining.

The closest the Bulls came the rest of the way was 110-106 on a Gordon jumper with 36 seconds left, but Johnson sank two free throws with 21.7 seconds left. An Aaron Gray putback with 6.9 seconds left made it a four-point game again, but Williams sank one of two free throws to provide the final margin of victory for Atlanta.

Atlanta held a 26-22 lead after the first quarter, and took a three-point edge into halftime. The Hawks pushed their lead to 13 points with an 11-2 run late in the third quarter, and a Johnson free throw posted Atlanta to a 78-65 advantage with 2:43 remaining.

Rose drained a jumper in the final seconds of the quarter, though, cutting the deficit to 84-74 entering the final 12 minutes.

Game Notes

The Hawks played without star forward Josh Smith. who is expected to miss two to four weeks with a high left ankle sprain suffered versus Toronto last week...Thabo Sefolosha scored 13 points off the bench for Chicago...Williams scored 13 points, and Zaza Pachulia had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Hawks...Atlanta has won three of four in the series. Chicago had won the previous 12. This was the Hawks' first win in Chicago since April 9, 2004.

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Problem with Bears?

Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.

"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."

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Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.

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