Derrick Rose had 36 points and 10 assists as the Chicago Bulls took another step toward the top seed in the Eastern Conference with their 15th victory in 17 games, hanging on to beat the short-handed Toronto Raptors 113-106 on Saturday.
The Bulls lead Miami by three games and Boston by 3 1/2. They also are within one of San Antonio for the NBA's best record after squeezing by one of the league's weakest teams.
Tom Thibodeau broke Phil Jackson's club record for wins by a first-year coach as the Bulls improved to 56-20.
Carlos Boozer added 18 points and 10 rebounds despite early foul trouble. Luol Deng scored 17 points, Taj Gibson had 15 points and nine rebounds, and Kyle Korver came up big down the stretch to finish with 10 points.
Jerryd Bayless and DeMar DeRozan each scored 26 points for Toronto.
Rose Leads Bulls Over Raptors, 113-106
Saturday's win put the Bulls one step closer to the top seed
Copyright AP - Associated Press
