CHICAGO -- Taj Gibson led five players in double figures with 23 points and the Chicago Bulls brushed off a poor offensive first half to rally for an 89-77 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night. Kirk Hinrich had 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting, Mike Dunleavy scored 13, Jimmy Butler 12 and Joakim Noah added 10 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Gibson, who was 9 for 15 from the field, also had eight rebounds in 32 minutes off the bench. The Bulls (40-31) pulled within two percentage points of Toronto (39-30) for third place in the Eastern Conference. The win also prevented Indiana from clinching the Central Division title on Chicagos home court. The Pacers are looking to win consecutive division crowns for the second time since joining the NBA (1998-99 and 1999-2000). The Pacers, who were led by Paul Georges 21 points, have dropped three straight and six of eight on the road. Theyve lost four of five at the United Center, including both visits this season. The Pacers earned a 91-79 victory over the Bulls on Friday night at Indiana. With the NBAs top two defensive teams on the court, points figured to come at a premium, and that certainly was the case in the first half. Neither team managed to score 20 in either of the first two quarters, and the Pacers took a 34-33 halftime lead when George Hill (12 first-half points) hit a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left. The Bulls were 14 of 44 (31.8 per cent) from the field in the first half, including 1 for 10 on 3-pointers. Perhaps the most entertaining portion of the half came when the crowd got on Pacers centre Roy Hibbert for an apparent flop, a hot topic between the teams in recent days. On the play, Hibbert was fouled by Noah as he was beginning to go up for a shot attempt. While there definitely was enough contact to warrant a foul, it appeared to be light. Hibbert, though, dropped to the court flailing as if he had been hit by a flagrant foul. After the replay was shown on the scoreboard, the crowd began to boo. Noah stood off to the side with a big grin on his face. Following Fridays game in Indiana, Gibson accused the Pacers of flopping, and it was still the topic of conversation at the morning shootaround for both teams. "I mean, I havent taken a charge in probably four years," Hibbert said at the shootaround. "Hes entitled to his opinion. Im just going to go out there and play hard." The Bulls finally got into an offensive rhythm in the third quarter, starting the second half with a 16-5 run to take a 49-39 lead. A few minutes later, Indiana had cut the lead to 55-49 and George had the ball on a fast break ahead of the field. Hinrich, though, caught him from behind and looked as if he was going to give an intentional foul. Instead, Hinrich stripped the ball and the Bulls headed in the opposite direction as George complained that he was fouled. The Bulls completed the four-point swing on Gibsons dunk to make it 57-49 with just more than 4 minutes left in the third quarter. The Bulls took a 64-56 lead into the fourth after scoring 31 points in the third. They had balanced scoring in the quarter with Dunleavy and Hinrich each tallying seven points. Carlos Boozer, Butler and Gibson added five apiece. The Bulls were never seriously threatened in the fourth and held on for a relatively comfortable win. NOTES: The Bulls posted a 110-94 victory in Indianas only previous visit to the United Center this season on Nov.16. Indiana won both games at home as the teams split the season series. ... Pacers coach Frank Vogel when asked if Hibbert was the NBA Defensive Player of the Year: "Hands down. Hes the best rim-protector on the best defence in the league. I think thats who the award should go to. Ill be very disappointed if he doesnt get the award this year." Hibberts main competition could be Noah, who received the endorsement of Rockets coach Kevin McHale a couple of weeks ago. . Former Bull C.J. Watson missed the game with a right hamstring strain. Mark Recchi Jersey . The Italian football federation announced the appointment, three days after new president Carlo Tavecchio was elected. Tavecchio and Conte spoke on the phone early Thursday. Bryan Trottier Jersey . Charlottetown scored four times in the third period en route to a 5-2 win over the defending champion Halifax Mooseheads on Friday. http://www.wholesalepenguinsjerseys.com/. -- Derek Jeter says the New York Yankees have no choice but to move forward now that Alex Rodriguez has accepted his suspension for the 2014 season. Penguins Jerseys China . -- Henry Josey watched helplessly from the sideline last fall, rehabbing from a serious knee injury, while Missouri was getting pushed around in its first SEC season. Kris Letang Jersey . Of all the names out there who could realistically be dealt by Wednesdays deadline, Ryan Kesler remains No. 1 on the most desired list. And while were not sure if theyre any closer to a deal, we now have a defined price.ASHBURN, Va. - Of course Matthew McConaughey would want to hang with Robert Griffin III after a Washington Redskins practice. The Oscar-winning actor, a huge Washington fan who was in town to appear at a team charity event, wore an old-style Redskins yellow T-shirt and walked buddy-buddy with the franchise player as they strolled away from the field following Wednesdays off-season workout. Griffin was asked if he noticed McConaughey on the sidelines during practice. "I think if I was a woman, I would notice it a lot more," Griffin quipped. Still, RG3 was the player who drew the biggest scrum of reporters, and he remains the linchpin of the teams championship hopes. But this off-season is bit more tranquil for the 24-year-old quarterback with the disarming smile. Its not two years ago, when he was the shiny new centre of attention, the No. 2 overall pick with unlimited potential. And its certainly not last year, when he heaped attention on himself with his "All in for Week 1" campaign while recovering from a serious knee injury amid growing discord with coach Mike Shanahan. The RG3 of 2014 still loves his slogans — "The Movement" and "Win everything, win every day" are his current chart-toppers — but the knee brace is gone, and so is Shanahan. All is calm under new coach Jay Gruden, and, at least for the moment, Redskins stock doesnt soar nor crash every time Griffin opens his mouth. "Weve got a new coach, and weve got new additions, whether its DeSean Jackson, Ryan Clark, (Jason) Hatcher, all those guys that are here doing great things," Griffin said. "And the story lines dont all lead back to me. And thats fine." Its a firm reset for Griffin after a 3-13 year that included a late-season shutdown, but hes still the same image-conscious perfectionist. Hes learning a new offence, and his fundamentals are getting some tweaks under the new coach. Overall, however, Grudens take on Griffin sounds somewhat similar to Shanahans. "Hes mature beyond his years already," Gruden said. "Hes obviously got a lot more maturing to do, but as far as his work ethic is concerned, about how he handles himself on and off the field, I dont think thatts going to be that big of an issue.dddddddddddd Its just a matter of how you handle the media scrutiny sometimes. "Like I said, hes a perfectionist. He doesnt like negative publicity. He doesnt like negative plays to happen. He wants everything to be right. He wants everybody to love Robert, and thats not going to be the case at the back position." True to form, Griffin tried to set the record straight about his views on off-season work. A year ago, he was confident he could make a strong return from the knee injury despite missing off-season practices. He now wants all to know that he didnt mean to devalue the importance the April-June workouts. "When you have a hand dealt to you where you dont have an off-season, you dont use it as an excuse," Griffin said. "And that was the message that was trying to be sent last year. I didnt have the opportunity to have that off-season. I was getting healthy, getting ready for the season. You dont whine about it; you dont cry about it, and I think maybe it was taken the wrong way and people thought I didnt need it. You always need it." For the most part, though, Griffin has avoided talking about last year — because it would be tricky to do so without dissing Shanahan. No sense rocking the boat while everything is good. "Everybody wants me to compare this year to last year," Griffin said. "We havent played any games yet, and even when we do play the games, Im still not going to compare them. That question will not be answered." NOTES: WR Jackson remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. Gruden called it a "minor tweak" and said he hopes Jackson is back next week. ... Gruden for the first time experienced the sauna-like conditions of the Redskins garage-style news conference room. "You guys cant afford an air conditioner in here?" the coach said. "You guys quit writing bad stuff about us and maybe well get an AC in here and move you out of the garage." The remark earned a rare ovation from reporters, and Gruden was brought a green towel to help wipe away his sweat. ___ AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ___ Follow Joseph White on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP Cheap Buffalo Sabres Gear Wholesale Calgary Flames Jerseys Cheap Adidas Colorado Avalanche Jerseys Montreal Canadiens Outlet Store Wholesale New Jersey Devils Jerseys Adidas Arizona Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Adidas Boston Bruins Jerseys Cheap Adidas Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys Chicago Blackhawks Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Columbus Blue Jackets Jerseys Dallas Stars Shop Free Shipping Cheap Adidas Detroit Red Wings Jerseys Anaheim Ducks Jerseys China Wholesale Edmonton Oilers Jerseys Florida Panthers Shop Free Shipping Wholesale Los Angeles Kings Jerseys Minnesota Wild Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Nashville Predators Jerseys Cheap Adidas New York Islanders Jerseys New York Rangers Winter Classic Jerseys Cheap Adidas Ottawa Senators Jerseys Cheap Adidas Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys Wholesale Pittsburgh Penguins Jerseys Cheap Adidas San Jose Sharks Jerseys St. Louis Blues Winter Classic Jerseys Wholesale Tampa Bay Lightning Jerseys Toronto Maple Leafs Outlet Store Vancouver Canucks Outlet Store Cheap Adidas Vegas Golden Knights Jerseys Cheap Adidas Washington Capitals Jerseys Cheap Adidas Winnipeg Jets Jerseys ' ' '