BULLS WHIP CELTICS, CLOSE IN ON EAST'S TOP SEED

NaCHICAGO - Derrick Rose envisioned this for the Bulls when training camp started. Now Chicago is close to wrapping up the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Rose scored 30 points and the Chicago Bulls closed in on the top seed in the Eastern Conference by beating the Boston Celtics 97-81 on Thursday.

The Bulls' 17th win in 19 games put them four games up on Boston and Miami with four to play and eliminated the Heat from getting the No. 1 seed. It also gave them a four-game split with the Celtics.

Boston, which plays the Heat on Sunday, still has a mathematical shot at the top spot albeit a remote one. But barring a collapse, Chicago will be the top seed in the East.

It's another step for a team that expected big things after a major overhaul, and all the Bulls have done is deliver their best season since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen made championship celebrations a regular event.

"I always said that we could compete with some of the best teams in the NBA," Rose said. "At training camp and in the beginning of the year, I thought my team's ready to fight. I just saw what we were going through in training camp. Guys were keyed in and focused, making sure that they came in very, very hungry, wanting to win."