By Dave Hart
LocalSportsJournal.com
Bulls 111, Pistons 101 – Pau Gasol’s 31 point and 11 rebound performance paced the Chicago Bulls to victory over the Pistons on Monday afternoon.
Derrick Rose added 20 points for the Bulls, while Jimmy Butler added 16 points and nine rebounds.
Ersan Ilyasova and Reggie Jackson led the Pistons in a losing effort with 19 points, while Marcus Morris added 18 and Andre Drummond had 13 points and 16 rebounds.
Detroit’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was ejected from the game halfway through the fourth quarter with a double-technical foul.
The Pistons are now 22-19 on the season, good for a sixth place tie in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Detroit will travel to take on the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.
Record: 22-19
Tied for 3rd Place in Central Division (7.5 games behind Cleveland)
Tied for 6th Place in Eastern Conference (7.5 games behind Cleveland)
1 game ahead of Orlando for the last playoff spot
Magic # to clinch a playoff berth: 42
Magic # to clinch Central Division title: 51
Magic # to clinch Eastern Conference title: 51
Next Game: 01/20/2016 @ Houston Rockets 8:00 p.m. @ Toyota Center
Stats: Reggie Jackson 19 points 6 assists, Ersan Ilyasova 19 points, 11 rebounds, Marcus Morris 18 points, Andre Drummond 13 points 16 rebounds.
