The Detroit Pistons struggled to get anything going against the stingy defense of the Chicago Bulls, eventually losing 83-71 to the top team in the Eastern Conference.
Battling the Bulls' stout defense is tough enough for Detroit, but without two offensive weapons in Rodney Stuckey (sore left hamstring) and Ben Gordon (sore right groin) the Pistons didn't have nearly the firepower necessary to seriously challenge Chicago for the win.
The Pistons were able to close to within four points at the end of the third quarter, but were outscored 18-10 in the final quarter as the offense ground to a halt at crunch time. Greg Monroe led the way for Detroit with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Chicago, playing without star Derrick Rose, leaned on Luol Deng for 20 points and nine rebounds with Joakim Noah adding 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Detroit will have to bounce back quick, as they host the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday night.
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