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Butler, Rose power Bulls to 6th straight win

Randy Belice / National Basketball Association / Getty

The Chicago Bulls are coming on strong.

Chicago ruined Anthony Davis' homecoming and extended its season-high winning streak to six games in a 107-100 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday at the United Center.

Jimmy Butler dropped a game-high 33 points while Derrick Rose scored 19 to power the Bulls to a 9-1 mark over their last 10 contests.

Chicago-born Davis played his first career NBA game in the Windy City and didn't disappoint, scoring a team-high 29 points on 13-of-24 shooting from the field, while adding 11 rebounds and six blocked shots in the tough road loss.

It was just another day at the office for Davis, who entered the day leading the NBA in blocks per game, ranking second in player efficiency rating, and fourth in points. But the 21-year-old's big effort wasn't enough.

And he didn't appear to be too pleased about it:

The Bulls are near full strength and unsurprisingly playing their best basketball of the season.

Rose is healthy - and slowly but surely improving as the season has carried on. Butler has yet to cool off and is enjoying a breakout campaign, and a starting frontcourt featuring Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol is close to as good as it gets.

Butler beat up on the Pelicans in the paint and converted on 9 of 10 shots from the charity stripe to turn in his fifth 30-plus point scoring performance of the season.

"Not only is he a great scorer, but he's a top defender," Noah said of Butler, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN. "Like top, like defensive player of the year type of defender."

Chicago also received a big effort from its bench, as three players scored in double figures including Taj Gibson, who notched a double-double with a 12-point, 10-rebound effort.

Tyreke Evans filled up the stat sheet once again, putting up 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals in the loss.

The Bulls will look for their seventh straight win Monday versus the Indiana Pacers.

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