ORLANDO, Fla. – Derrick Rose and Luol Deng each scored 21 points and the Chicago Bulls held off a fourth-quarter surge by Orlando to beat the Magic 97-83 on Friday night for their sixth straight victory.
Carlos Boozer added 20 points for Chicago, which led by as many as 17 before the lead was trimmed to three. The Bulls closed the game on a 17-6 run.
Dwight Howard led the Magic with 28 points and 15 rebounds.
The Bulls (7-1) are off to their best start since winning 12 of 13 to open the 1996-97 season. The latest victory began a brutal stretch for Chicago that includes seven games in nine nights.
Orlando (5-3) lost at home for the first time this season. It was the Magic’s first game against a 2010-11 playoff team since their opener at Oklahoma City.
Rose went through some scoring lulls but kept Chicago’s offense on schedule, handing out 10 assists and coming within two rebounds of a triple-double.
The Bulls dominated inside and held a 46-37 rebounding edge. They also had 27 assists.
The Magic bench, which had been playing well this season, was 3 for 15 from the field.
The game featured several momentum shifts in the first three quarters.
The Bulls
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