FINAL FROM DETROIT: Bulls 108, Detroit 96. (Bulls: 29-39, 16-19 on the road)
LEADING SCORERS: Bulls: LaVine: 30pts. Detroit: Hayes: 21pts.
LEADING REBOUNDERS: Bulls: Vucevic: 16. Detroit: Bey, Stewart, Hayes each with 7.
LEADING ASSISTS: Bulls: Satoransky: 7. Detroit: Hayes:8
CCI STAT OF THE GAME: Nikola Vucevic has recorded at least 14 rebounds in five straight games, the first Bull to do that since Elton Brand had a 7-game run in February 2001.
CCI RECAP: The Bulls took advantage of a depleted Pistons team, minus eight players including four starters, as Billy Donovan's team overpowered Detroit with a heavy dose of Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and Coby White. The three players combined for 80 points. Another solid sign of late for the Bulls is valuing possessions. The Bulls committed just nine turnovers, dishing out 27 assists. The Bulls defense is stepping up as well, holding their last three opponents to under 100 points. Vucevic registered his eighth straight double-double and his 15th in a Bulls uniform. The Bulls pulled to within 2 1/2 of the slumping Pacers for the 10th and final play in seed. Indiana plays at Cleveland tonight. The Bulls played without Daniel Theis (hip contusion) and Troy Brown (ankle).
NEXT: Home with Brooklyn Tuesday.
CCI NBA NEWS AND NOTES
Miami 130, Boston 124. Jimmy Butler had 26 points and 11 assists. Miami leads Boston by two games for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The two teams meet again in Boston Tuesday. Victor Oladipo missed his 16th straight game with knee soreness.
New York 106, Los Angeles Clippers 100. Vintage Derrick Rose with a 25-6-8 game off the bench. Rose connected on 9-10 from the field. The Knicks hold the fourth seed by one game over Atlanta and Miami.
Los Angeles Lakers 123, Phoenix 110. Anthony Davis with a 42-12-5 game. The Suns trail the Jazz by two games for the top spot in the East. The Lakers are with I one one game of six seed Portland.
New Orleans 112, Charlotte 110. The Pelicans trail the Spurs by 1 1/2 games for the final play in spot in the Western Conference. The Pels played without Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Steven Adams.
Dallas 124, Cleveland 97. Tim Hardaway Jr poured in 25 points. Luka Doncic was ejected for hitting Collin Sexton. The Mavs remain in the fifth seed, one game ahead of Portland.
Minnesota 128, Orlando 96. The T-Wolves led by 30 at halftime.
Sacramento 126, Oklahoma City 98. ESPN: The Thunder have been outscored by 490 points in their last 25 games, the worst margin of defeat by any team in any 25 game span in NBA history.
Washington's Bradley Beal will miss tonight's game against Atlanta with a hamstring injury.
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