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Red-hot Bulls entertain streaky Magic

Mar 8, 2012 - 4:02 PM (Sports Network) - Two of the Eastern Conference's top players will go at it for the second time this season when Derrick Rose and the NBA-leading Chicago Bulls host Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic tonight at the United Center.

Rose and the Bulls got the best of the Magic in the first meeting, a 97-83 victory in central Florida on Jan. 6 behind 21 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds from the NBA's reigning MVP. Howard paced the Magic with 28 points and 15 rebounds.

Chicago has won four in a row against Orlando and three of the past five meetings between the teams in the Windy City.

The Bulls have a great chance at making it five consecutive wins in this series after they posted their eighth win in a row overall last night in a 106-104 victory at Milwaukee. Rose was the hero with a long buzzer-beating shot for the win and finished with 30 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for Chicago, which owns the best record in the league at 33-8 and a comfortable lead atop the Central Division.

"What can you say?" said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. "Another big shot."

Joakim Noah added 20 points and 10 rebounds and Carlos Boozer scored 15 for the Bulls, who have also won eight in a row against Milwaukee. The Bulls will begin a six-game homestand Thursday and are 15-2 as the host this season. They have won four straight at the United Center and are 51-7 as the host dating back to last season. Chicago improved to 15-0 on the season when scoring 100- plus points.

Rose is averaging 26.3 ppg in six games since the All-Star break and 17.6 points in 12 career meetings with the Magic. Guard Richard Hamilton did not play against the Bucks because of a shoulder injury suffered in a recent win over Indiana and is day-to-day. Hamilton has been plagued by injuries all year for a Bulls team that hasn't won nine in a row since ending the 2010-11 regular season with that many victories.

Utah, New York, Miami, Portland and Philadelphia are also scheduled to pay a visit to Chicago.

Orlando will get the first crack at the Bulls on their homestand and is coming off a 100-84 setback Tuesday at Charlotte in the second installment of a three-game road trip. Howard had 15 points and pulled down 17 rebounds, while Ryan Anderson and J.J. Redick both scored 14 points.

The Magic shot just 38.8 percent for the game and committed 18 turnovers, leading to 25 Charlotte points. They also led by as many as 20 points in the first half and were outscored, 57-36, over the last 24 minutes.

"We gave them confidence and they just played with total confidence in the second half and that's where they got the win," said Howard, who recorded his 32nd double-double of the season. "You can't do that with any team. We cannot allow teams to get confidence against us."

Orlando had won two straight and three of four games before falling to 12-8 away from home.