CHICAGO (AP) – Derrick Rose scored 30 points, and the Chicago Bulls handed Cleveland just its second loss in 16 games, beating the Cavaliers 113-98 Thursday night.
Pau Gasol added 18 points and 10 rebounds. Tony Snell scored 22, helping offset a 31-point performance by LeBron James, and Bulls sent another strong signal that their recent struggles might be behind them.
They won their fourth straight after dropping 10 of 15 and entered the All-Star break with a 1 1/2-game lead in the Central division over the Cavaliers.
Chicago led most of the way against the NBA’s hottest team and pulled away in the fourth quarter.
Both teams were missing key players, with Chicago’s Jimmy Butler nursing a strained right shoulder and Cleveland’s Kevin Love out with an abrasion in his right eye. But the Bulls did enough to come out on top.