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Deng and Bulls cruise past Detroit

Mar 31, 2012 - 4:16 AM Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Luol Deng scored 20 points to help the Bulls continue their dominance in the Eastern Conference with an 83-71 dismantling of the Pistons on Friday.

Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer each recorded double-doubles, with Noah going for 19 points and 12 rebounds and Boozer finished with 13 and 11 for Chicago, which won its second straight game and ninth in its last 11.

The Bulls' NBA-best 42-11 record includes a 31-7 mark against Eastern Conference foes.

"Our attention to detail was great tonight," said Boozer.

Brandon Knight paced the Pistons with 16 points while Greg Monroe netted 14 to go with 10 boards. Tayshaun Prince also tallied 14 points in defeat for Detroit, which saw a two-game winning streak snapped with their sixth loss in eight tries.

Chicago, playing without Derrick Rose for the ninth consecutive game, improved to 14-5 without the reigning league MVP and notched its 14th win in a row over the Pistons.

Prince said the Pistons didn't take care of the ball, couldn't get good shots and wasted a good chance to beat a great team missing its best player.

"You can't let teams like this get 6-0, 8-0 runs, especially without Derrick Rose out on the floor," he said.

The hosts trailed by as many as eight in the opening quarter and the teams swapped the lead on seven consecutive possessions in a wild two-minute stretch before Chicago went in front for good on Ronnie Brewer's jumper with 48.6 seconds to play in the first.

The Pistons stayed close and threatened midway through the fourth after a 6-0 run brought them to within four at 75-71, but they never got over the hump. The Bulls' CJ Watson hit two free throws to begin a stretch of eight unanswered points before the horn sounded.

Chicago shot 50 percent from the field in the first half while holding the visitors to a 36.4 percent clip and took a 44-35 lead into halftime.

Game Notes

Pistons' guards Rodney Stuckey and Ben Gordon did not play with a sore left hamstring and a sore groin, respectively...Rip Hamilton was a late scratch for Chicago...The Heat held a 53-37 rebounding advantage and a 38-24 edge in the paint...Chicago travels to Oklahoma City on Sunday for a matchup of the top teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences, while Detroit hosts Charlotte on Saturday.