The 83-81 victory over the Pistons had been secured, thanks to Kirk Hinrich's two free throws with 2.8 seconds left and Luol Deng's adhesive defense on Tayshaun Prince at the buzzer.

The third straight playoff berth had been clinched, a high-water mark of 13 games above .500 had been reached and the Bulls had closed within a half-game of the Cavaliers. A Bulls win in their Saturday showdown with the Cavs would vault them past Cleveland for the lead in the race for the second seed.

"We're beyond that," Hinrich said dismissively. "We expect to make the playoffs. Our plan is to finish the season strong and make a run in the playoffs. It's time for us to do that."

Added Ben Gordon, who passed to Hinrich for his game-winning points: "That's not a big thing for us. We want and need to make it far in the playoffs."