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Bulls put win streak on line vs. Nets

Dec 30, 2014 - 3:05 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Chicago Bulls will stake their league-best seven- game winning streak against the Brooklyn Nets Tuesday night at the United Center.

The Bulls haven't lost since Dec. 15 at Atlanta and they haven't lost at home since a double-overtime heartbreaker versus Dallas on Dec. 2, a span of seven straight.

On Monday, Chicago hung on to beat Central Division rivals, the Indiana Pacers, 92-90, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Jimmy Butler tallied 27 points and nine rebounds and the Bulls overcame a sluggish fourth quarter.

Pau Gasol scored 20 points for Chicago, which nearly squandered a 21-point lead. Mike Dunleavy, who had a game-high 10 rebounds, made it 75-54 with his three-point play late in the third quarter, but a prolonged scoring drought and impressive resilience from the hosts led to the near comeback.

Chicago missed an unprecedented 17 straight shots following the Dunleavy three-point play. It didn't make a field goal until Gasol's turnaround jumper at 3:27 of the fourth.

Meanwhile, the Pacers scored 20 straight points to surge in front.

Butler's 3 from the right wing with just over a minute to play restored Chicago's lead.

"I'm confident in my game and so are my teammates," Butler said. "I feel like I have to step up and take and make shots late."

The Pacers had a chance to win late, but C.J. Watson's 3-point attempt with 0.5 seconds left came up short.

"The lesson to be learned is that you have to keep playing," said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. "No lead is safe in this league."

The Nets got back into the win column on Monday after a home drubbing at the hands of the Pacers on Saturday. Brooklyn toppled the Sacramento Kings, 107-99, at the Barclays Center for its fourth win in the last five games.

Mason Plumlee had 22 points to lead the Nets as he continues to start ahead of Brook Lopez.

Joe Johnson posted 16 points and six assists, while Jarrett Jack added 16 points for the Nets.

"I thought we did a good job of executing," Jack said. "Defense helped put us in a good rhythm."

Lopez and Mirza Teletovic both finished with 11 points, followed by 10 from Kevin Garnett. Deron Williams scored six off the bench as the Nets are 4-1 with the new-look starting lineup of Plumlee, Garnett, Johnson, Jack and Sergey Karasev. That group was put together after Lopez and Williams missed time with injuries.

"While they were out we started playing better and winning, so why would I go back and change the lineup for now," asked head coach Lionel Hollins.

The Bulls have beaten the Nets twice this season and are 6-1 in their last seven regular-season meetings versus Brooklyn. Chicago has taken eight of the previous nine as the host in this series.