Bulls stop Cavs, clinch top spot

Associated Press

cleveland

For the first time since the final year of the Michael Jordan era, the road through the Eastern Conference playoffs will again go through Chicago.

Carlos Boozer had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and the Bulls clinched the top seed in the East with a 93-82 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.

Chicago, which has won six straight and 18 of 20, will have home-court advantage through the first three rounds of the playoffs. The Bulls hadn’t finished with the best record in the East since 1997-98, the most recent of their six NBA titles with Jordan.

Despite wrapping up the top seed, there were no celebrations in Chicago’s locker room.

“It’s good to be the No. 1 seed, but at the end of the day we understand that there is a bigger picture,” center Joakim Noah said. “We’re staying focused. It’s definitely an achievement and we’re excited about it.”

The Bulls, winners of five in a row and nine of 10 on the road, had six players score in double figures. Ronnie Brewer had 12 points while Derrick Rose added 11 points and eight assists. Noah scored 11 points while Luol Deng and Kyle Korver had 10 points apiece.

J.J. Hickson led Cleveland with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Daniel Gibson scored 14 points while Ramon Sessions added 13.

The Cavaliers, who had won their previous two games, fell into a tie with Minnesota for the league’s worst record.

The Bulls, who barely made the playoffs last season and were eliminated by the Cavaliers in the first round, have made major strides under first-year coach Tom Thibodeau, who had been a longtime assistant with Boston.

Rose, a leading candidate for the league’s MVP, gives his coach all the credit.

“Tibbs, man, is the coach of the year to me,” he said. “He’s been honest, holding everyone accountable, every time we step on the court.”