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Bulls go for 7th straight win at Indiana

Dec 29, 2014 - 3:48 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Bulls are the hottest team in the Eastern Conference at the moment with a season-high six straight wins and will pay a visit to the Indiana Pacers Monday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The Bulls have won nine of their last 10 games and posted a 107-100 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, as Jimmy Butler scored 33 points and Derrick Rose added 19. Aaron Brooks and Taj Gibson scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, with Gibson adding 10 rebounds.

"We got a lot of easy baskets. As a team, we rebounded the ball well and we got into the open court," Butler said. "We got a lot of layups. When we're playing like that we're really hard to beat."

Butler is averaging 26.3 ppg in his last six games.

Chicago shot 46.1 percent and scored 23 points off 15 New Orleans turnovers.

During the winning streak, the Bulls have won by an average score of 109.0 to 99.7. They are seventh in the NBA with 103.5 ppg and have lived up to the defensive reputation with an opponents' scoring average of 98.7 ppg.

The Bulls, who have scored 100 or more points 13 times in the last 16 games, have been dominant on the road with a 13-4 record and the 13 away wins are tied with Golden State for the most in the NBA.

Chicago is 14-4 against teams from the East and 16-5 when reaching the 100- point mark. It will begin a five-game homestand Tuesday versus Brooklyn.

The Pacers have won three of their last four games, and will play two straight at home versus Chicago and Miami. They are 6-8 in Indy.

Indiana is coming off Saturday's 110-85 victory over the Nets and was led by Rodney Stuckey's 20 points and season-high eight assists. David West and C.J. Watson scored 17 points apiece for the Pacers, who made 51.2 percent from the field and 9-of-18 3-pointers.

"We're making shots and we're playing for each other," Pacers head coach Frank Vogel said. "We're playing unselfish and hopefully that continues."

Vogel's team scored 60 points in the second half and had 33 assists.

West has been playing well lately with an average of 13.6 ppg in his last nine games. It has helped the Pacers shoot 50 percent or better in each of the previous four games after failing to hit the mark over the first 27.

Indiana, which is 6-9 versus the East, is scoring 94.7 ppg, which is 26th in the NBA. However, it is third in opponents' scoring at 96.5 ppg.

The Pacers defeated the Bulls, 99-90, on Nov. 15 at the United Center thanks to 21 points from Luis Scola, Solomon Hill and A.J. Price. Butler scored 32 points in that one for Chicago, which is winless in the last four trips to Indiana.

Chicago leads the overall series 89-80 with the Pacers, but Indiana holds a 56-29 advantage at home. The Bulls are 6-22 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.