The Central Division of the NBA had a jam-packed week of action. While the Chicago Bulls improved to 9-1 over their past 10 games and did not lose a game in the past week, the other teams in the division had their share of successes. We break down the past week of NBA action in the Central Division.
On Sunday, January 8, the Milwaukee Bucks lost on the road to the Phoenix Suns by a final of 109-93, while the Cleveland Cavaliers lost by 20 to the Portland Trail Blazers, 98-78.
On Monday, January 9, the Indiana Pacers dropped a 10-point road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, 96-86. In a divisional showdown, the Bulls blew out the Detroit Pistons by a final of 92-68.
On Tuesday, January 10, the Pistons headed home but picked up another loss as the visiting Dallas Mavericks came out on top, 100-86. The Bucks improved to 3-0 at home by edging out the San Antonio Spurs, 106-103. The Cavs dropped a 113-105 contest against the Utah Jazz in Provo, which was the fifth straight win for Utah. The Bulls visited the Minnesota Timberwolves and came away with the 111-100 win.
Wednesday, January 11 saw both the Bulls and the Pacers improve to 4-0 at home. The Pacers knocked off the Atlanta Hawks, 96-84, while the Bulls managed a 78-64 win against the Washington Wizards.
In a divisional matchup on Thursday, January 12, the Bucks stayed strong at home, defeating the Pistons 102-93. Meanwhile, the Cavs headed to Phoenix and came away with a 101-90 win over the Suns.
On Friday, January 13, all five Central Division teams had games. The Pacers bested the hometown Toronto Raptors, 95-90. The Pistons picked up their first road win of the season by defeating the Charlotte Bobcats, 98-81. The Cavs came close in Los Angeles but fell to the Lakers, 97-92 as Kobe Bryant put up 42 points. The Bucks remained winless on the road in a 106-72 loss against the Mavericks. Last but not least on Friday, the Bulls visited the Boston Celtics and game away with the 88-79 win.
On Saturday, January 14, the Pacers improved to 5-0 as they took their turn defeating the Celtics by a final score of 97-83. The Bulls also took their home record to 5-0 as they defeated the Raptors, 77-64.
A very busy week for the division. All of the teams in the Central continue to play much better at home than they do on the road. The Pacers are doing an admirable job keeping pace with the red-hot Bulls, as they are only two games behind for the number one slot both in the division and in the Eastern Conference.
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