BOSTON - The Chicago Bulls improved to 27-14 with a 119-103 victory over the Celtics Friday night in Boston.
After the first quarter, the Bulls trailed the Celtics 24-22 behind Derrick Rose's seven points. A high-scoring second favored Boston who shot 60% from the field in the half to Chicago's 43.8% taking a 58-55 lead into the intermission.
Rose and Pau Gasol ran an effective pick-and-pop in the third, a quarter that saw Gasol score 14 of his 20 overall and gave the Bulls an 88-86 lead heading into the fourth.
The Bulls outscored the Celtics 31-17 in the final quarter to close out the game. Derrick Rose led all scorers with 29 points adding a season-high 10 assists. Jimmy Butler added 22 points for Chicago and a career-high six thefts.
Joakim Noah, Mike Dunleavy and Doug McDermott were inactive for the Bulls.
The Bulls host the conference-leading Atlanta Hawks Saturday night at the United Center in Chicago.