NEWARK—Derrick Rose scored 21 points and the Bulls extended their longest winning streak in six years to eight games by holding the New Jersey Nets to a season-low point total in an 84-73 victory Thursday night.The Bulls, who came into the game with the NBA’s second-best defense allowing an average of 91 points, held the Nets to 35 percent shooting (29 of 83), including a 3-for-19 night from 3-point range.Rose also hounded Deron Williams on defense. Williams had been the catalyst of New Jersey’s five-game winning streak, but he only managed five points on 1-of-12 shooting to go along with 11 assists.Williams has battled a wrist injury since being traded from Utah to New Jersey before the trading deadline, and he admitted it bothered him.The Bulls (49-18) also are resilient. They blew a 14-point third-quarter lead before turning away the Nets after they tied it three times in the final 5:50.The Bulls eight-game winning streak is its longest since it won nine in a row between mid-March and early April 2005. This win gave the Bulls a half-game lead over idle Boston in the race for the best record in the Eastern Conference.Luol Deng scored 19 points, including a go-ahead jumper with 3:58 to play.Kyle Korver had seven of his 12 points in the final quarter and rookie reserve Omer Asik had 11 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.Brook Lopez scored 22 points for New Jersey, and Kris Humphries added 13 points and 16 rebounds.Lopez made two free throws with 4:06 to go to tie the game. Deng then came off a screen and hit a jumper to put the Bulls ahead for good. After the teams exchanged empty possessions, Rose stole a cross-court pass by Williams and scored on a drive to push the lead to 73-69 with 3:18 remaining.Anthony Morrow and Sasha Vujacic missed jumpers for New Jersey and the Bulls took advantage. Korver hit a free throw after the Nets were called for an illegal defense and Joakim Noah, who was returning to the lineup after missing a game with flulike symptoms, went over Humphries for a rebound and scored for a 76-69 lead.After Vujacic scored on a goaltending call against Rose, Korver, who turned 30 on Thursday, hit a 3-pointer and Kurt Thomas converted a layup to put the game away.Limited to 50 points in the first three quarters and only down by 10, the Nets made a run in the opening four minutes of the fourth, closing to 62-59 on a 3-pointer by Vujacic.The Bulls called timeout and quickly got Rose back in the lineup. The Nets kept it up but couldn’t overcome Chicago, which won the rebounding battle 50-46.

NOTES—Williams had dinner with his former Jazz teammate Korver on Wednesday….Carlos Boozer has missed four straight games with a sprained ankle…..The Bulls lead the season series 2-1….Williams hit a runner at the end of the first quarter. It was originally ruled good but overturned after a videotape review….The Bulls wore their St. Patrick’s Day green uniforms.