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Bulls aim for 11th straight win over Pistons

Apr 1, 2011 - 3:18 PM (Sports Network) - Chicago takes its push for the top spot in the Eastern Conference to the shadow of the Motor City Friday when they shoot for their 11th straight win over the Detroit Pistons.

The Central Division champion Bulls lead Boston by two games and Miami by 2 1/2 for the No. 1 seed in the East with eight games left in their season.

Most recently Chicago bounced back from its first home loss in over two months by blasting Minnesota, 108-91, in the Twin Cities on Wednesday. Carlos Boozer scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in that one.

Derrick Rose had 23 points and 10 assists for the Bulls, who got back on the winning track after having a 14-game home winning streak snapped with a loss to Philadelphia on Monday. Luol Deng had 13 points in the win, while center Joakim Noah missed the game due to a right ankle sprain.

"We did a great job," Boozer said. "I thought we did a good job spreading the floor. We did a good job rebounding and passing."

Noah is scheduled to be a game-time decision tonight.

The Pistons, meanwhile, dropped the back end of a home-and-home set with Indiana, 111-101, on Wednesday.

Rodney Stuckey filled the ledger with 24 points, nine assists and seven rebounds and Richard Hamilton pitched in 19 points for the Pistons, who are headed for their second straight season without a playoff appearance.

Detroit had beaten Indiana, 100-88, on Saturday to snap a three-game losing streak.

"They really came out and fed off their fans in the second quarter," Hamilton said. "And we kind of turned the ball over in the first three possessions of the second half and that really hurt us."

The Bulls are in the midst of their longest winning streak over the Pistons since the Michael Jordan-era when Chicago topped its division rival 19 consecutive times from April 12, 1993-March 22, 1997.

Chicago is unbeaten in four straight trips to The Palace.