The Spurs had their opportunities on Monday night, but couldn’t make them count, finishing 1 of 7 in the last four minutes of a close game, and falling to the Chicago Bulls, 92-89 at United Center.
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The projected starting lineups for the team will have Rose, Pau Gasol, Jimmy Butler and Doug McDermott along with Nikola Mirotic, who got the nod over Joakim Noah to open the season as part of the starting five.
Gasol blocked LaMarcus Aldridge on a drive with 1:06 left, and then hit 1 of 2 foul shots on the other end for a 90-89 lead.
The Heat were led by guard Dwyane Wade, who posted season highs of 30 points and five steals, but matched a season high with seven turnovers. Parker finished with 13 points and forward Tim Duncan had six points and 12 rebounds.
PISTONS 116, ROCKETS 105: Reggie Jackson had 31 points and Andre Drummond added 24 points and 13 rebounds as Detroit beat Houston in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Forward Amir Johnson had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Teague took control from there. He was injured in the first quarter of Charlotte’s 87-82 win against Milwaukee on Sunday. So far, San Antonio is ranked No. 1 in defensive efficiency at 93.1 points per 100 possessions, a mark that has not been achieved since the 2007-08 season. The 30-year-old Jefferson has led Charlotte in rebounding five times and has four double-doubles.
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ABOUT THE BULLS (9-5): Derrick Rose missed the first two games of the road trip with a sprained ankle and had a hard time working his way into the offense when he came back, going 11-of-36 from the field in a win over Portland and the loss at Indiana. The two players are two of the best small forwards, and are lockdown defenders.
