NBA News Wire
Bulls 105, Pistons 94
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Guard D.J. Augustin scored 26 points off the bench and center Joakim Noah recorded his second triple-double in three games, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 105-94 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night at The Palace.
Noah had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his sixth career triple-double. Forward Taj Gibson contributed 22 points and shooting guard Jimmy Butler supplied his fourth double-double this season with 18 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls (34-27), who have won 10 of their last 12 games.
Power forward Greg Monroe’s 27 points led the Pistons (24-37), who lost five of their last six games. Guard Kyle Singler chipped in 16 points while forward Josh Smith and center Andre Drummond added 15 points apiece.
The teams split their first two meetings, with each winning by a lopsided margin on the road.
The officials had short fuses, handing out four technical fouls, three on Detroit.
Augustin opened the fourth quarter with a personal 7-0 run to give the Bulls an eight-point lead. Butler’s steal and dunk with 8:24 remaining made it 82-72. Augustin’s 3-pointer from the top of the key extended the lead to 89-74. The Pistons trailed by at least nine the rest of the game.
Neither team led by more than six during the third quarter, which ended with Chicago up 71-70. The Pistons had an 8-0 run midway through the quarter but the Bulls answered with seven straight points, capped by a Hinrich 3-pointer. Monroe scored eight points during the quarter, while Butler led the Bulls with six.
Gibson’s 16 first-half points lifted the Bulls to a 52-47 halftime lead.
NOTES: The Bulls won 19 of the previous 21 meetings. The two teams play once more this season on April 11 at the Bulls’ United Center. … C Andre Drummond had at least 15 points and 17 rebounds in Detroit’s previous three games, becoming the first Piston to do that since Dennis Rodman in December 1991. … Pistons G Rodney Stuckey’s 13.8 points per game is an NBA high among players who have come off the bench at least 49 games. … Chicago’s 21 victories since New Year’s Day entering the game tied Indiana for the most in the league. … The Bulls’ Joakim Noah is on pace to become the first center to lead his team in total assists since San Antonio’s David Robinson in 1993-94. Noah had 270 in Chicago’s first 60 games. … Pistons G Chauncey Billups and C Josh Harrellson were inactive because of knee injuries and G Peyton Siva was unavailable because a left ankle sprain.
