The Chicago Bulls clinched a playoff berth, defeating Charlotte 101-84 despite seeing Carlos Boozer limp out of the contest.
Chicago on Wednesday notched their 11th victory in 13 games and sealed their sixth playoff berth in seven seasons.
They closed the gap atop the Eastern Conference after Boston stunningly fell 108-103 at home to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Bulls currently hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Celtics for determining the top seed in the East, with the two teams to meet one more time in the regular season.
Coach Tom Thibodeau, however, said the Bulls wouldn't get ahead of themselves.
"For our team, we don't want to skip any steps," Thibodeau said. "We're just focused on improving every day, getting ready for the next game.
"Our team management is outstanding. We have an excellent group of assistant coaches. We have a great group of players. We're hoping to be a championship-caliber team.
"We feel we have all the pieces necessary to move in that direction."
One of those pieces is Boozer, who hobbled off the court with less than five minutes remaining after a flagrant foul from Kwame Brown.
Boozer, who finished with 10 points, came down awkwardly on his left leg, and while X-rays were negative the team said it wasn't yet clear if he would miss any games with an injured ankle.
"We'll just have to wait and see what type of swelling he has," Thibodeau said. "I know he came down pretty hard."
Derrick Rose and Kyle Korver each scored 20 points for the Bulls. Rose was 4-for-6 from three-point range while Korver grabbed 12 of his points in the final quarter as Chicago pulled away for the win.
Joakim Noah added 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls.
Former Bulls star and now Bobcats owner Michael Jordan was courtside and said after the game that Rose was having a Most Valuable Player season.
"He deserves it. He's playing that well, without a doubt," said Jordan.
Rose was delighted with the praise from the superstar.
"It's great that he said that. It's an honor. I'm speechless," he said. "But I'm just trying to keep winning. The award will come if we keep winning. I'm just trying to play hard and aggressive and with an edge."
source: Yahoo News
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