Detroit 96, Chicago 101

Derrick Rose scored 19 of his 25 points in the first half as the Chicago Bulls held on for a 101-96 win over the host Detroit Pistons on Friday night.

Carlos Boozer added 22 points and eight rebounds and equaled a season high with seven assists for the Bulls (55-20), who overcame a late Pistons charge to record their 21st win in the past 25 games.

The victory puts Chicago 2 1/2 games up on the Miami Heat and three games ahead of the Boston Celtics for top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Heat routed Minnesota 111-92 while the Celtics dropped an 88-83 decision to Atlanta.

Rose's sensational first half, which included four steals, put the Bulls up 58-47 at the break. The lead remained at or near double digits until late in the fourth quarter, when Detroit struck back.

Tayshaun Prince hit a 16-foot jumper to cut the deficit to six, and Will Bynum's layup a minute later made it a three-point game. Boozer answered with a three-point play and Detroit got no closer than three points the rest of the way.

Richard Hamilton had a game-high 30 points for the Pistons (26-49).

• Detroit will play their next game on the road against Boston. The Pistons have a W/L % of .308 after a win and .367 after a loss.
• Chicago will play their next game at home against Toronto. The Bulls have a W/L % of .722 after a win and .762 after a loss.