Bulls move into tie for first heading into 2007

Chicago beat Cleveland on Saturday night to move into a tie with Detroit for first place in the NBA Central Division. The win was doubly-sweet as the Bulls played without Kirk Hinrich, who aggravated a groin injury in Friday’s win at Toronto.

Luol Deng continued his strong offensive play, scoring a career-high 32 points against the Cavaliers. Chicago went on a 24-point run in the second half to erase a Cleveland lead.

The Bulls are now 19-12 after a 14-3 December. The only negative news is Hinrich’s groin problem, which developed about a week ago. He told reporters that he hoped to play in Tuesday’s game with Phoenix at the United Center.

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