Rose, last season’s league MVP, finished with 10 points on 3-for-11 shooting to help the Bulls defeat the Indiana Pacers 92-87 on Wednesday night.

Rose has missed 26 games this season and he’s just beginning to return to form after most recently dealing with injuries to his right ankle and foot. Though he couldn’t finish like he normally does on his quick, furious drives to the basket, his unparalleled explosiveness was back.

“Every day is getting better,” he said. “I’m not trying to do too much out there, just trying to play with the team, trying not to get reinjured. That’s the biggest thing, and making sure I’m playing with a lot of confidence.”

Rose, who had seven assists and just one turnover in 27 minutes, had 11 points and eight assists on Saturday in a win over Dallas after missing the previous three games.

“I think he’s getting a lot more comfortable,” Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said. “His body is feeling a lot better and he needs to play. He needs to play in games. He’ll get up to speed very quickly.”

Kyle Korver scored 20 points, Carlos Boozer had 16 points and Joakim Noah had 14 points and 14 rebounds for Chicago. The Bulls ended the game needing just a win over Cleveland on Thursday or a loss by the San Antonio Spurs to clinch the top overall seed in the playoffs.

The Bulls said earning the top seed is a secondary goal.

“We’re just trying to do what we can do as a team,” Noah said. “We’re just playing for ourselves. We just want to be playing well for when it really counts.”

Lance Stephenson had a career-high 22 points in his first career start for the Pacers, who rested Danny Granger and Leandro Barbosa because they were locked into the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference. Indiana will have homecourt advantage against Orlando in the first round.

“Our last two games, the primary goal was to sharpen up for Game 1 of the playoffs,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. “Our starters got some good reps tonight and so did our bench. We accomplished the goal of getting a good look at Lance Stephenson.”

Chicago led 49-36 at halftime after shooting 50 percent from the field and outrebounding the Pacers 25-16. The Pacers shot just 5 for 21 from the field in the second quarter and were outscored 17-12.

Indiana went on a 7-0 run early in the third quarter to cut Chicago’s lead to 55-47 and force a timeout.

The Bulls hung tough, and a fast break layup by Richard Hamilton pushed their lead back to 67-54. Chicago led 67-59 at the end of the third quarter.

A dunk by Taj Gibson increased Chicago’s lead to 73-60.

Indiana made one more push. A fast break layup by Stephenson cut the Bulls’ lead to 78-71 with 5:57 to play, but Chicago maintained control.

Thibodeau said the Bulls will play their regular lineup on Thursday.

“It will be about the same,” he said. “We’ll see where we are. I want our starters to get more time together, so it will be similar to tonight. We’ll see how the game unfolds. I just want us to continue to take it step by step.”

Thibodeau said the Bulls need the game against Cleveland to get sharper.

“There’s always things you can do better and we need to work on, but we’re getting there,” he said. “Our starters haven’t played a lot together all year so it was a good opportunity for them to get some quality time on the floor. I thought that was good for us.”

Rose wants one more chance to prepare for a pressure situation before the postseason begins.

“If the game was in a crazy type of game and at the end I need to take over, that’s what I’m going to try to do,” he said.

Notes: Indiana shot 50 percent in the first quarter, but trailed 32-24 at the end of the period. Chicago outrebounded Indiana 12-6 in the first quarter. … The teams combined for just one turnover in the first 12 minutes. … The Pacers honored their ABA championship teams from 1969-70, 1971-72 and 1972-73 at halftime. All surviving members of those teams were invited. … Indiana had just its sixth sellout crowd of the season.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Even as the Chicago Bulls wrapped up another impressive victory, the question that has dogged them remained unanswered: Will Derrick Rose be ready for the playoffs after fighting through injuries all season?

Rose, last season’s league MVP, finished with 10 points on 3-for-11 shooting to help the Bulls defeat the Indiana Pacers 92-87 on Wednesday night.

Rose has missed 26 games this season and he’s just beginning to return to form after most recently dealing with injuries to his right ankle and foot. Though he couldn’t finish like he normally does on his quick, furious drives to the basket, his unparalleled explosiveness was back.

”Every day is getting better,” he said. ”I’m not trying to do too much out there, just trying to play with the team, trying not to get reinjured. That’s the biggest thing, and making sure I’m playing with a lot of confidence.”

Rose, who had seven assists and just one turnover in 27 minutes, had 11 points and eight assists on Saturday in a win over Dallas after missing the previous three games.

”I think he’s getting a lot more comfortable,” Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau said. ”His body is feeling a lot better and he needs to play. He needs to play in games. He’ll get up to speed very quickly.”

Kyle Korver scored 20 points, Carlos Boozer had 16 points and Joakim Noah had 14 points and 14 rebounds for Chicago. The Bulls ended the game needing just a win over Cleveland on Thursday or a loss by the San Antonio Spurs to clinch the top overall seed in the playoffs.

The Bulls said earning the top seed is a secondary goal.

”We’re just trying to do what we can do as a team,” Noah said. ”We’re just playing for ourselves. We just want to be playing well for when it really counts.”

Lance Stephenson had a career-high 22 points in his first career start for the Pacers, who rested Danny Granger and Leandro Barbosa because they were locked into the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference. Indiana will have homecourt advantage against Orlando in the first round.

”Our last two games, the primary goal was to sharpen up for Game 1 of the playoffs,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. ”Our starters got some good reps tonight and so did our bench. We accomplished the goal of getting a good look at Lance Stephenson.”

Chicago led 49-36 at halftime after shooting 50 percent from the field and outrebounding the Pacers 25-16. The Pacers shot just 5 for 21 from the field in the second quarter and were outscored 17-12.

Indiana went on a 7-0 run early in the third quarter to cut Chicago’s lead to 55-47 and force a timeout.

The Bulls hung tough, and a fast break layup by Richard Hamilton pushed their lead back to 67-54. Chicago led 67-59 at the end of the third quarter.

A dunk by Taj Gibson increased Chicago’s lead to 73-60.

Indiana made one more push. A fast break layup by Stephenson cut the Bulls’ lead to 78-71 with 5:57 to play, but Chicago maintained control.

Thibodeau said the Bulls will play their regular lineup on Thursday.

”It will be about the same,” he said. ”We’ll see where we are. I want our starters to get more time together, so it will be similar to tonight. We’ll see how the game unfolds. I just want us to continue to take it step by step.”

Thibodeau said the Bulls need the game against Cleveland to get sharper.

”There’s always things you can do better and we need to work on, but we’re getting there,” he said. ”Our starters haven’t played a lot together all year so it was a good opportunity for them to get some quality time on the floor. I thought that was good for us.”

Rose wants one more chance to prepare for a pressure situation before the postseason begins.

”If the game was in a crazy type of game and at the end I need to take over, that’s what I’m going to try to do,” he said.

Notes: Indiana shot 50 percent in the first quarter, but trailed 32-24 at the end of the period. Chicago outrebounded Indiana 12-6 in the first quarter. … The teams combined for just one turnover in the first 12 minutes. … The Pacers honored their ABA championship teams from 1969-70, 1971-72 and 1972-73 at halftime. All surviving members of those teams were invited. … Indiana had just its sixth sellout crowd of the season.

–

Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cliffbruntap

Barring an unlikely scenario that would include, among other results, the disintegrating Orlando Magic losing to the historically woeful Charlotte Bobcats at home, the New York Knicks will decide over the next couple of days whether they play the Miami Heat or Chicago Bulls in a first round NBA playoff series.

The Knicks will determine the seeding based on their last two games against the Los Angeles Clippers and those same seven-win Bobcats. And, by the way, how is it possible to not trip into a few more victories than seven over a 66-game schedule?

The raging discussion in the New York metropolitan area currently concerns opponent preference. Would it be more advantageous for the Knicks to take on the Bulls or the Heat? The answer, of course, is neither, but delirious fans – you know, the ones who are eternally blinded by dreams and unfounded optimism – seem to be split fairly evenly. Those lining up with a Heat preference are persuaded by the sheer delight of upsetting the Dream Team. The fans who consider the Bulls somewhat more vulnerable are taking the rational route. There’s a sense both sides are beating their chests to generate motivation and positive thinking that might affect the outcome.

Certainly, the Bulls argument makes slightly more sense because their best player, Derrick Rose, has been hobbled for so long, and the second option scorer, Rip Hamilton, has missed more than half the season with injury. The Knicks managed to defeat the Bulls once, on that magical Sunday a few weeks ago, when Carmelo Anthony yanked them to victory. Chicago missed foul shots at the end of the game that day to leave the door open. Otherwise, with and without Rose, the Bulls just pound the Knicks on the boards, a flaw not easily corrected considering the latter has only one legitimate banger in Tyson Chandler. The Bulls are one of those teams that seem to win games through utter will, regardless of how well or badly they might be playing.

The Knicks do not match up well with the Heat at all. Despite how euphoric it would be to topple this hated giant, there is absolutely no evidence it can happen. In fact, a Heat series might leave the Knicks winless in the playoffs for the second year in a row. The Knicks have no one to cover LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade is, of course, among the best players in the league.

Both have tremendous defenses to corral the Knick explosions that have been a trademark during their current hot streak. So then, the answer is moot. We are left with hope for a representative showing against somebody, and some self-respect when it’s all over. It’s hollow, but it’s all we have.

Glenn Vallach has been a New York Knick fan since the days of Howie Komives and Walt Bellamy, when he regularly boarded the IRT Subway at 180th Street in the Bronx for a trip to the Garden to see his heroes. Since the last championship in 1973, he has alternately yearned and suffered, hoped and lamented…he’s waited long enough.

Sources:

• Yahoo! Sports New York Knicks page
• Yahoo! Sports Chicago Bulls page
• Yahoo! Sports Miami Heat page
• Yahoo! Sports LeBron James page
• The Associated Press, Pavlovic rallies Celtics to 78-66 win over Heat

Joakim Noah is a large part of why the Chicago Bulls are set to make noise in the Playoffs.

Originally published in SLAM 158

by Lang Whitaker | @langwhitaker

A few years ago, I spent a summer afternoon with Joakim Noah at his father’s apartment in New York City. Joakim had the day off, and since his father was away, Joakim had slept in. I arrived, and he eventually woke up, picked through some sushi that was in the fridge, then sat and had a frank and interesting conversation with me for SLAMonline. Then he got dressed and went out for the afternoon to enjoy New York City.

The interesting thing here is that because Joakim Noah is Joakim Noah, everything was on a different level than if he had been just a regular New York citizen. His father is a legendary tennis player turned Grammy-winning singer, his grandfather a professional Cameroonian soccer player, his grandmother a former French national basketball team captain, his mother a Swedish supermodel turned sculptor. So the apartment, for instance, was an airy loft on Central Park South, with huge windows that exposed huge green expanses of Central Park. Because his father, Yannick Noah, is one of the greatest tennis players of all time, the apartment featured photos of his dad hanging out with people like Nelson Mandela. And because he is Joakim Noah, someone who has lived openly and honestly on an international stage for most of his life, when I interviewed him, he spoke freely and thoughtfully answered every question I threw at him.

Noah mostly grew up a few blocks—and a world—away from his dad’s place, with his mom over in Hell’s Kitchen. He saw the world, spending time in Europe, but New York was home; he even shouted out Hell’s Kitchen—“Hell’s Kitchen, stand up!”—after winning one of two National Championships at the University of Florida. Noah was drafted 9th overall by the Bulls in ’07, after bigs like Greg Oden, Brandan Wright and Yi Jianlian. After a few seasons of spinning their wheels, Derrick Rose and then Tom Thibodeau joined Jo in Chicago, and the Bulls have been near world-beaters since.

At press time, 64 games into this lockout-shortened season, the Chicago Bulls were sitting at an exemplary 48-16, the best record in the NBA. Since bringing in Thibs as coach two summers back, the Bulls have found their definition with defense. Thibs ran the defense for the title-winning team in Boston back in ’08, and he’s replicated the same help principles and laser focus on defending in Chicago. At press time, this season the Bulls were first in the NBA at points allowed per game, at 88.4, and second in lowest opponent’s field-goal percentage at 42.3.

Noah, all arms and angles, is emblematic of the Bulls’ shared acceptance of Thibodeau’s defensive mania. As Dennis Rodman told ESPN: “I love Noah. He runs around with his head cut off sometimes, but I love him. He’s more like me, but a little taller…He plays for the game.” And when Dennis Rodman says you run around like a chicken with your head cut off, you really must be hustling.

There’s something to be said for continuity in sports, particularly during this truncated season. Without the chance to get together and practice or install new wrinkles during the lockout, the best NBA teams this year have been teams that were, at the least, together a season ago—Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Miami, Chicago—who have been able to build on the themes they established in the past. Thibodeau preaches defense until he’s hoarse in the throat, and when it works, it’s terrific. That’s what the Bulls are constantly striving for, some vague perfection where they hedge correctly on a screen-roll and cause the ballhandler to pause long enough to allow the defense to catch up and then force a 24-second violation. As Noah told David Aldridge of NBA.com, “It’s very hard. That’s why winning is so sweet, because it’s hard. And it is repetitive and you’re always tired, and it’s always the next one, move on to the next one…it’s emotional.”

As far as mindset goes, Joakim’s was under review, at least for a while. It didn’t help that he wore a beige seersucker suit to the Draft and let his hair fly under his Draft hat while tossing up a peace sign, and he occasionally pops up on the Web vacationing in impossibly perfect locales. Noah comes armed with a goofiness that plays broad, which he seems to rely on in front of crowds or strangers. Sit him down, and that insouciance is tempered by a worldliness that has obviously informed him.

By now, we’ve accepted that Noah is polarizing and unifying, both of which work to the advantage of the Bulls. He’s not afraid to stand up to the Garnetts and Gasols of the NBA world or call out opponents. This might be annoying to opposing fans, but it connects Noah to Bulls fans, and also gives the Bulls an edge.

As Chicago chases another set of rings, Noah has solidly slipped into that man in the middle role for the Bulls. He’s never been an All-Star. He’s solid around the rim, but has yet to develop that killer mid-range jumper (he’s shooting 24 percent from 10-15 feet this season, and 42 percent from 16-23 feet), which will force defenders to come out on him and open up the floor for him. Still, Noah is on pace to average a double-double (or very close to one) for his third consecutive season. Noah is good enough to fight for boards with and contest shots against the best centers in the L, and when he’s on the floor, the Bulls have their best chance at winning.

Derrick Rose is the best player on the Chicago Bulls, but Joakim Noah is one of the most important. Is he more important than Luol Deng or Carlos Boozer or Rip Hamilton or any other player? No, but that’s because this is the way the Bulls have been structured. Every player is exactly as important and unimportant as any other player. Nobody on the Bulls plays harder, yet several Bulls play just as hard. In that way, Thibs, Noah and the Bulls have carved out this blue-collar identity that has endeared them to their fans and made them nearly invisible to casual fans. Playing impenetrable help defense may not make SportsCenter, but it sure helps the wins stack up.

The Bulls have found success by playing team basketball. Yes, they have an MVP running the point, but instead of a clear-cut No. 2 behind Derrick Rose, there is a collective, a community. In the same way that he is a participatory member of the community of the world, Joakim Noah is an essential member of his team in Chicago. And his team has grabbed the League by the horns.

CHICAGO — Luol Deng scored 22 points, Richard Hamilton added 19 and the Chicago Bulls held off a fourth-quarter rally to beat the Dallas Mavericks 93-83 on Saturday night.

The victory by the Bulls (48-16) gave them a 2 1-2 game lead over Miami for the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Chicago has two regular-season games left, against Indiana and Cleveland.

Bulls star guard Derrick Rose returned to the lineup after sitting out three games with a right foot/ankle injury and he had 11 points with eight assists in 32 minutes.

Defending NBA champion Dallas, which clinched a playoff berth on Thursday night when Houston lost, was playing the second game of a back-to-back, so veteran guards Jason Kidd and Jason Terry sat out to rest.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 17 points and Rodrigue Beaubois, starting in place of Kidd, added 16 — 10 in the final quarter.

Deng’s 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer capped an 11-0 run and gave the Bulls a 66-56 lead. But Dallas rallied as Vince Carter had nine points and Brandan Wright’s follow-up basket cut the lead to 75-72 with just under 6 minutes remaining.

Joakim Noah and Rose scored for the Bulls before Kyle Korver hit his third 3-pointer of the game to restore the lead to nine points. Deng then hit a 3-pointer from the corner with just under 2 minutes left and Chicago had a 90-79 lead.

Nowitzki’s eight second-quarter points helped the Mavs close a 13-point deficit down to six by halftime.

Hamilton had 10 points and Carlos Boozer eight as Chicago opened a 21-8 lead after one quarter — the Mavericks’ lowest scoring quarter of the season.

Notes: Rose said he just wants to get his rhythm back in the few regular-season games left. “The team is playing all right. They are playing good basketball, I’m just trying to fit in,  trying to still be a part of this team and do whatever it takes to win,” he said. Rose has missed 26 games this season with an assortment of injuries and Chicago is 17-9 in those games. … Beaubois injured his left hand as he was guarding Ronnie Brewer and left the game with 7:32 left in the first half. He returned about 4 minutes later with two of his fingers taped. … Fans cheered loudly when the public address announcer congratulated White Sox pitcher Phil Humber on his perfect game in Seattle on Saturday. The final pitch was shown on the video screen above the court.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Richard Hamilton scored 22 points in just 24 minutes as the Chicago Bulls took a step closer to wrapping up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 100-68 rout of the dreadful Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night.

Hamilton made his first seven shots from the field, including four from beyond the arc and the outcome was never in doubt.

Despite playing without leading scorers Derrick Rose and Luol Deng, the Bulls shot 48 percent from the floor and connected on 9 of 19 shots from 3-point range to bounce back from Tuesday night’s surprising 87-84 loss to the Washington Wizards.

The Bulls had struggled of late losing four of their last eight coming in, but they still have the NBA’s best record at 47-15 with four games remaining in the regular season.

Kemba Walker scored 16 points for the Bobcats, who’ve lost a franchise-record 18 straight games. If the Bobcats lose their final five games they will finish with the worst winning percentage in NBA history.

Omer Asik had nine points and 15 rebounds for the Bulls, while Joakim Noah and John Lucas each scored 12 points.

The Bulls shot 55 percent in the first half and led by 19 in the second quarter.

Charlotte continued to struggle putting the ball in the basket.

For the second straight game they shot just 30 percent from the field.

Meanwhile, the Bulls seemed to score at will from both inside and outside as well as in transition.

The Bulls extended the lead to 24 in the third quarter behind 10 points from Hamilton. Hamilton seemed to take the Bulls on his shoulders, finishing the night 9 for 13 from the field, including 4 for 5 on 3s.

The Bobcats’ night, and perhaps the season, could be best summed up in one embarrassing play when Matt Carroll had a breakaway layup but put if off the glass too strong and Byron Mullens, who seemed to be in position for a follow-up dunk, had the ball bounce off his hands and out of bounds for a turnover.

The crowed let out a collective “Ugh!” as Carroll clapped his hands together in disbelief.

NOTES: Tyrus Thomas, who was involved in a postgame locker room altercation with coach Paul Silas earlier this week, left the game with a sore right knee. He spent most of the first half riding a stationary bike trying to get it loose and only played three minutes. … Charlotte’s last win came on March 17.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau talked before the game about his team needing to play with an edge.

They did just that Wednesday night, thumping the dreadful Charlotte Bobcats 100-68 in a solid tune-up before Thursday night’s big showdown in Miami with the Heat.

Richard Hamilton scored 22 points in just 24 minutes and the Bulls took a step closer to wrapping up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Despite playing without leading scorers Derrick Rose and Luol Deng, the Bulls shot 48 percent from the floor and connected on 9 of 19 shots from 3-point range to bounce back from Tuesday night’s surprising 87-84 loss to the Washington Wizards.

Hamilton made his first seven shots from the field, including four from beyond the arc and the outcome was never in doubt.

”We had a bad loss against Washington and we talked about getting back to playing how we play and that’s rebounding, playing defense and trying to share the basketball,” Hamilton said.

The Bulls did all of that against Charlotte.

They held the Bobcats to 30 percent shooting, outrebounded them 57-38 and had 29 assists.

The Bulls had struggled of late losing four of their last eight coming in, but they still have the NBA‘s best record at 47-15 with four games remaining in the regular season.

They remain 2 1/2 games ahead of the Heat in the East.

”We just want to get out there and hopefully get a win,” Hamilton said. ”Miami has a lot of special players. It won’t be easy.”

Deng, who has been bothered by a rib injury, said after the game he expects to be ready to play against Miami. Rose’s status remains day-to-day with a right foot injury.

Thibodeau likes the way his team regrouped from the loss to Washington.

”Usually, this team responds,” Thibodeau said.

There was plenty of reason to be happy.

His starters were terrific and the reserves didn’t play bad either, accounting for 42 points.

”Everyone was sharing the ball,” Thibodeau said. ”So the ball was hopping and they were making the right plays. Defensively was very good. Rebounding was very good. And then the most important thing was the low turnovers.”

Omer Asik had nine points and 15 rebounds for the Bulls, while Joakim Noah and John Lucas each scored 12 points.

The Bulls shot 55 percent in the first half and led by 19 in the second quarter.

They extended the lead to 24 in the third behind 10 points from Hamilton. Hamilton seemed to take the Bulls on his shoulders at times, finishing the night 9 for 13 from the field, including 4 for 5 on 3s.

He said he’s getting closer to 100 percent.

”Each and every game I get better and that’s a good thing,” Hamilton said. ”When I first came back the problem wasn’t getting shots that I wanted to get it was just being able to get in a rhythm and get a feel for the game again. I’m definitely pleased with that’s going on.”

Charlotte continued to struggle putting the ball in the basket. For the second straight game they shot just 30 percent from the field.

”That’s been our problem all year,” said Bobcats coach Paul Silas.

Rookie Kemba Walker scored 16 points for the Bobcats, who’ve lost a franchise-record 18 straight games.

Charlotte continues its march toward NBA futility. If the Bobcats lose their final five games they’ll finish with the worst winning percentage in NBA history.

”We don’t want to set that record,” Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson said. ”That’s something that we’re thinking about and we’ve talked about. We just want to win. That’s my sole goal. We’ve set goals for ourselves at the start of the season and haven’t accomplished hardly any of them. But with these last five games, that’s one that we’ve set and we want to accomplish that one.”

The Bobcats’ night, and perhaps the season, could be best summed up in one embarrassing play.

In the first half Matt Carroll had a breakaway layup but put if off the glass too strong and Byron Mullens, who seemed to be in position for a follow-up dunk, had the ball bounce off his hands and out of bounds for a turnover.

The crowed let out a collective ”Ugh!” as Carroll clapped his hands together in disbelief and glanced toward the heavens.

NOTES: Tyrus Thomas, who was involved in a postgame locker room altercation with coach Paul Silas earlier this week, left the game with a sore right knee. He spent most of the first half riding a stationary bike trying to get it loose and only played three minutes. … Charlotte’s last win came on March 17. … The Bobcats tied a season low with six turnovers. … Chicago’s 57 rebounds tied the most allowed by the Bobcats this season.

Having all but locked up the top seed throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Chicago Bulls’ biggest priority leading up to the postseason is Derrick Rose getting the rust off his shot.

Despite that significant issue, the Bulls seemingly should have little trouble beating the Detroit Pistons considering what they accomplished last time out.

Chicago looks to build on an emotional victory and win its 15th straight over the Pistons on Sunday night at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Rose was a game-time decision for Thursday’s highly anticipated showdown with Miami after sitting out Tuesday’s win over New York with a sprained right ankle. While the league MVP started and claimed his ankle didn’t bother him, he was extremely ineffective.

Rose missed 12 of 13 shots and the Bulls (45-14) were outscored by 27 points during his 25-plus minutes. Chicago managed to overcome the three-time All-Star’s off-night, however, and pulled away in overtime to win 96-86. The first-place Bulls now lead the Heat by 3 1/2 games with seven to play.

Carlos Boozer had 19 points and Luol Deng added 16, while reserves Kyle Korver scored 17 and C.J. Watson had 16 – including the game-tying 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left in regulation – as Chicago’s bench outscored Miami’s 47-7.

Rose finished with a career-low three points and didn’t play in overtime. He might have spent the entire fourth quarter on the bench, as well, had coach Tom Thibodeau not needed to give Watson a breather.

“These games right here will make me a better player, a stronger player,” Rose said.

Rose’s poor performance wasn’t entirely surprising. He returned from a 12-game absence due to a groin injury for last Sunday’s overtime loss at New York, and subsequently injured his ankle. He shot 8 of 26 at Madison Square Garden.

“I’m just trying to get my rhythm back,” said Rose, who has missed 23 games.

He sat out the last game against Detroit on March 30, and Chicago won 83-71. Deng scored 20, while Joakim Noah had 19 and 12 rebounds as the Bulls reeled off their 14th straight win in the series since a 104-98 loss at The Palace on Dec. 23, 2008.

The run is Chicago’s longest active winning streak over a team, and Detroit’s longest current losing streak to an opponent.

The Bulls are one of the NBA’s top defensive scoring teams at 88.8 points per game, and in this season’s first three meetings, they’ve held the Pistons to an average of 74.0 points on 39.1 percent shooting. Detroit is one of the league’s lowest-scoring teams at 90.5 points per game and Chicago is 31-0 when limiting opponents to 91 or less.

The Pistons (22-37) are coming off Friday’s 113-97 loss to Milwaukee, their fourth defeat in five games.

“(The Bucks) were the only ones playing with desperation and urgency,” Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said. “They definitely imposed their will on the game.”

Rookie Brandon Knight had 25 points Friday, while Ben Gordon scored 24 after averaging 8.8 points in his previous four.

Gordon, who spent his first five seasons with the Bulls, has totaled 18 points in his two games against his former team this season.

In Richard Hamilton’s lone game against his former team, the longtime Piston finished with 14 points in a 99-83 win at The Palace on Jan. 4.

Boozer is averaging 18.3 points on 60.0 percent shooting against Detroit this season, while Noah is averaging 12.0 points – also on 60.0 percent shooting.

CHICAGO — C.J. Watson scored 16 points, including the game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation, and the Chicago Bulls pulled away in overtime to beat the Miami Heat 96-86 on  Thursday night.

Carlos Boozer led the Bulls with 19 points and Kyle Korver added 17 points for the Bulls, who outscored Miami 12-2 in overtime to boost their lead in the Eastern Conference to four games.

The Bulls were able to pull off the victory despite a horrible shooting night by Derrick Rose.

LeBron James scored 30 points for Miami, but missed a free throw that would have made it a two-possession game late in regulation. Dwyane Wade added 21 points, Chris Bosh scored 20, but the Heat lost for the sixth time in 11 games.

Things were looking good for Miami when James nailed a 3 that made it 83-81 with 49 seconds left in regulation. But with a chance to seal the game, he missed the first of two free throws with 11.4 seconds remaining.

That kept the Bulls in it and Watson made a 3 to tie it at 84 with 2.2 seconds left. The game went into overtime when Wade missed a baseline jumper at the buzzer.

Deng started the extra period with a jumper. Taj Gibson dunked on Ronny Turiaf for a three-point play and scored on a neat spin move after Wade hit a free throw, making it 91-85, sending the Bulls to a dramatic win on a night when their superstar had perhaps his worst game as a pro.

Rose scored just two points and hit 1 of 13 shots, a brutal night for the reigning MVP. Then again, he hasn’t played much lately.

He returned from a 12-game absence due to a groin injury for Sunday’s overtime loss at New York, only to sprain his right ankle. He did not play Tuesday, when the Bulls beat the Knicks at home.

But even with Rose struggling, the Bulls managed to pull this one out.

Korver, who scored 14 on Tuesday, again came up big, particularly down the stretch.

His 3-pointer and jumper put Chicago ahead 78-74 with about 3:30 left, and after Wade scored, Boozer nailed a jumper and Ronnie Brewer hit a free throw to put the Bulls’ lead at 5.
Wade, however, kept Miami in it.

He scored on a drive and a jumper to make it a one-point game, and Bosh came up with a key rebound off a miss by Wade, feeding James for the 3 that made it 83-81. But things unraveled for the Heat after that.

Notes: Wade tied Alonzo Mourning’s franchise record for games played at 593. … Heat coach Erik Spoelstra made a late switch and decided to have Udonis Haslem, battling stomach flu, start at center instead of Ronny Turiaf. … The Bulls and Heat meet one more time at Miami on April 19.

Despite the Boston Celtics falling to the San Antonio Spurs by the score of 87-86 on Wednesday, April 4, they continued to prove they are capable of keeping up with the hottest team in the NBA. The win marked the ninth straight for the Spurs–definitely an impressive feat.

Boston will hit the road to take on the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, April 5. While their schedule has been brutal, and will continue to be for the remainder of the season, the Celtics are facing it head-on, not breaking down. The experience will make them a better team for it, and will hopefully carry through to the playoffs.

The matchup:

The Boston Celtics will take on the Chicago Bulls at the United Center located in Chicago Ill. on Thursday, April 5, 2012 at 9:30 p.m. EDT.

The standings:

Boston comes into the game having lost their last game and with a 30-23 record. They are 11-14 on the road and have won seven of their last 10 games.

Chicago enters the matchup having lost their last two games and with a 42-13 record. They are 21-6 on their home court and have won six of their last 10 games.

The season series:

The season series currently stands at 2-1 in favor of the Bulls.

Where to watch:

The game can be watched live nationwide with NBA League Pass or–

In Boston: TNT

In Chicago: TNT

The season statistic leaders:

Boston: Paul Pierce- 19.1 points per game, Rajon Rondo- 11.1 assists per game, Kevin Garnett- 8.2 rebounds per game.

Chicago: Derrick Rose- 22.8 points per game, Derrick Rose- 8.0 assists per game, Joakim Noah- 9.8 rebounds per game.

Injuries to note:

Boston: Mickael Pietrus (concussion), Ray Allen (sore right ankle), Jermaine O’Neal (sprained left wrist), Jeff Green (aortic aneurysm).

Chicago: Derrick Rose (groin strain).

More Boston Celtics Commentary from Paul Rados:

Fan Preview: Can the Boston Celtics stop the surging Spurs?

Fan Look: What does the Boston Celtics’ victory over Miami prove?

Fan Preview: Are the Boston Celtics good enough to beat Miami?

Fan Preview: Can the Boston Celtics continue to roll against Minnesota?

Boston Celtics look to silence Utah Jazz: Fan Preview

Sources:

All data provided by NBA.com

Paul Rados is an avid Boston Celtics fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook.