AUBURN HILLS—Derrick Rose and the Bulls are closing in on home-court advantage for the Eastern Conference playoffs.The Detroit Pistons don’t have to worry about postseason positioning. They’re headed for another long offseason.Rose scored 13 of his 27 points in the first quarter and had a key assist in the final minute of the game, helping the Bulls hold off the Pistons 101-96 on Friday night.He was 8 of 17 — making half of his six 3-point attempts — and had seven assists and four steals.Rose made a perfect pass to set up Ronnie Brewer’s layup for a six-point lead with 34 seconds left and connected on two free throws with 5.8 seconds remaining to seal the win.As he has home and away lately, Rose heard “M-V-P!” chants throughout the night.Carlos Boozer had 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.Richard Hamilton scored 30, Prince had 17 points and Bynum added 12 for the Pistons.The Bulls were without center Joakim Noah again because of a sprained right ankle. His replacement, Kurt Thomas, grabbed an offensive rebound and made a baseline jumper for a six-point lead with just under a minute left.The Bulls also got contributions from Luol Deng, who scored 15, and Brewer, who added nine points.Detroit decided to rest Tracy McGrady’s tired legs and put Bynum in the lineup after giving Rodney Stuckey the option of starting or coming off the bench.Rose made sure the Bulls wouldn’t overlook the Pistons, making 4 of 5 shots and collecting three assists and three steals in the first 12 minutes of the game.He gave the Bulls a scare in the second half when he limped off the court, trying to keep weight off his left ankle, but he was back after a timeout and made an assist on the ensuing possession.
NOTES—After the Pistons retired his No. 10 jersey, Dennis Rodman said he has been informed he will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame….Noah said his ankle is feeling better, but he didn’t know when he would be healthy enough to play.