Chicago fans are in a dream that they don't want to wake up from - the Bulls won their eighth consecutive victory against Orlando (102:98), and then faced setbacks from their closest followers, Brooklyn and Memphis, and increased their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference.
An exciting match in the Windy City was decided 12 seconds before the end, when ARJ Hampton committed an unsportsmanlike foul on DeMar DeRozan with the score 100:98.
The experienced guard hit two of four shots, which was enough to end all the excitement.
Derozan was the most effective in the home team with 29 points, while Nikola Vucevic scored 13 (13-5 field goal shooting), but had 17 rebounds and two blocks and steals each.
For the guests, the best were Franz Wagner with 22 and Wendell Carter Jr. with 21 baskets, along with 10 caught balls.
Chicago now has a record of 25:10, followed by Brooklyn with 23:12 and Milwaukee with 25:14.
The Nets were defeated at home by Memphis (118:104), for which Ja Morent shone with 36 points, while the Bucks in Wisconsin were sensationally defeated by, until yesterday, the worst team in the league, Detroit (115:106).
The champions were judged by Sadik Bay with 34 and Joe Jackson with 24 hits, and it was in vain that Giannis Adetokunbo and Jrue Holliday had 60 points together (31 + 29), because there was no adequate help from their teammates.
Golden State proved they can win even when Steph Curry is having a bad night. The league's best shooter shot 17-3 from the field, but the Warriors defeated Miami 115:108.
In the clash between Dallas and Denver, Luka Dončić was more successful than Nikola Jokić, and the night was also marked by the match between Portland and Atlanta.
The Blazers won 136:131, thanks to Anferni Simmons' 43 points, and it didn't help the Hawks that Tre Young wrote history.
He scored 56 points, broke his personal and season record in the NBA, and became only the sixth player in the league to record at least 55 points and 10 assists (he had 14).
Before him, only James Harden (three times), Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, Russell Westbrook and Tony Parker did it.
Results
Chicago - Orlando 102:98 (Derozan 29 p, Vučević 13 p, 17 sk - F. Wagner 22 p)
Philadelphia - Houston 133:113 (Embid 31 points, 15 points, 10 points, Korkmaz 24 points, 11 points - Matthews 23 points)
Washington - Charlotte 124:121 (Kuzma 36 p, 14 sc, Bill 35 p, 8 ace, 7 sc - Hayward 27 p, Bridges 23 p, 14 sc)
Brooklyn - Memphis 104:118 (Durent 26 p - Morent 36 p)
Milwaukee - Detroit 106:115 (Adetokunbo 31 p, 10 sc, 7 as - Bey 34 p)
New Orleans - Utah 104:115 (Valančunas 25 p, 9 sc - Mitchell 29 p)
Dallas - Denver 103:89 (Dončić 21 p, 15 as, 8 sk - Jokić 27 p, 16 sk)
Golden State - Miami 115:108 (Pool 32 p - Butler 22 p)
Portland - Atlanta 136:131 (Simmons 43 p - Young 56 p, 14 as)
LA Clippers - Minnesota 104:122 (Ibaka 17 p - Edwards 28 p)
Bonus video:
