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 Guard D.J. Augustin scored 26 points off the bench, and Noah had
10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, leading Chicago to a 105-94
win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night at The Palace.
Noah actually had a quiet night until the fourth, when the Bulls
outscored Detroit 34-24. He piled up eight points, five assists and
three rebounds during the quarter to collect his sixth career
triple-double, but his second in three games. He had 13 points, 14
assists and 12 rebounds on Sunday against the New York Knicks.
"He's been on an incredible roll for a long time," Chicago coach Tom
Thibodeau said. "The Brooklyn game (a 96-80 loss on Monday) was his
first down game. He was patient tonight. He wasn't really
struggling, but he wasn't in a rhythm like he normally is. He just
kept working the game, and that's where his experience comes in. He
sizes things up, keeps working, and all of a sudden he'll get four
or five rebounds in a row."
Noah's playmaking skills is an increasingly valuable part of the
Bulls' offense. He has five double-digit assist games since Feb. 6
after recording just two in 442 career games prior to this season.
"That's why, if you look at all of our games, we just give him the
ball up top," Chicago forward Taj Gibson said. "He's unselfish,
he'll take guys off the dribble and just find guys in every kind of
fashion. He showed that tonight again. He's always finding different
ways to help us win."
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). Butler also was primarily
responsible for hounding Pistons forward Josh Smith into a 6-for-21
shooting performance.
Power forward Greg Monroe's 27 points led the Pistons, who lost for
the fifth time in six games. Guard Kyle Singler chipped in 16
points, while Smith and center Andre Drummond added 15 points apiece
for Detroit (24-37).
"Their intensity picked up, and our attention to detail and getting
good shots went down," Pistons interim head coach John Loyer said.
"They made a few shots at the end of the shot clock. We win the
first and third quarters, but we gave up 34 in the fourth. It's just
not winning basketball."
The teams split their first two meetings, each winning by a lopsided
margin on the road. The visitors were once again the stronger team
as Wednesday's game wore on.
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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, and the Pistons trailed by at least
nine the rest of the game.
"They're a great defensive team," Drummond said. "They made it tough
for us to get into our stuff."
Augustin and Gibson, the Bulls' top bench players, combined for 20
points in the fourth quarter as Thibodeau rode them.
"We talked about how we want to finish games," Thibodeau said. "Our
defense was strong, our ball movement was good, and hitting the
first open man made a big difference."
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 for the 20th time in 22 meetings. The two teams
play once more this season, April 11 at the United Center in
Chicago. ... 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 are an NBA high among players who
have come off the bench at least 49 games. ... Chicago's 22
victories since New Year's Day are 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 has 281 in Chicago's first 61 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.
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