"Defeating inferior teams despite a rash of injuries is something the Bulls have proved they can do while racking up the league's best record.

Beating one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference without two of their best players is a different matter, and the Indiana Pacers snapped the Bulls' eight-game home winning streak with a 95-90 victory Wednesday night.

The Bulls were without Luol Deng and Taj Gibson but still had a chance against the Pacers, who pushed the Bulls during their first-round playoff series last season and rank among the league leaders in rebounding and opponents' field-goal percentage. And it was the Pacers who made the plays down the stretch to hold off the Bulls."