Can Bulls Reach the Top..?

Rose scored 35 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, while Deng contributed 26 points and 10 rebounds as the Bulls secured a 123-115 road victory. The teams had been tied at 101-101 at the end of regulation time and 111-111 after the first period of overtime. After 11 straight wins, the San Antonio Spurs looked to be reaching the end of their streak as they fell 21 points behind in the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves. But the Spurs turned the game around to win 113-109 after overtime, with Manu Ginobili scoring 26 points, the bulk of them once the fightback began. For the lowly Timberwolves, Kevin Love scored 32 points and had 22 rebounds. The Boston Celtics trailed after the third quarter of their tussle with the New Jersey Nets but also fought back to win 89-83, with Shaquille O'Neal contributing 25 points. The Oklahoma City Thunder could not improve their winning run to six games, losing 111-103 on their home court to the Dallas Mavericks for whom Dirk Nowitzki scored 34 points. Kevin Durant replied with 32 points for the Thunder.

The star-studded Miami Heat continue to struggle to justify their billing as championship contenders, beaten 104-95 by the Orlando Magic tonight. LeBron James scored a game-high 25 points for the Heat, but Dwight Howard grabbed 24 points and 18 rebounds in a more convincing overall team performance by Orlando. A fifth straight win for the New York Knicks came in Charlotte as Raymond Felton enjoyed a good evening against his former team, with his 23 points helping to see off the Bobcats 99-95. Another streak was halted, however, as the Houston Rockets brought their four-game losing run to an end, defeating the Golden State Warriors 111-101, with Kevin Martin pouring in 25 points and Luis Scola scoring 24 points and claiming 12 rebounds. The New Orleans Hornets' aura of invincibility has gone, with the fast starters losing a second straight game. They were beaten 105-87 by the Utah Jazz, with Deron Williams shining with 26 points and 11 assists. The fast-improving Toronto Raptors downed the Philadelphia 76ers 106-90 for a fourth win in a row, while the Cleveland Cavaliers edged the Milwaukee Bucks 83-81 and the Memphis Grizzlies achieved a 105-84 victory over the Detroit Pistons.