Winning in spite of a couple mortal sins obscured a couple unalienable truths for the Bulls early this season.
They can’t turn the ball over 19 times, nor can their defensive intensity come and go but most of all, they can’t win without Derrick Rose being some reasonable facsimile of himself.
And they can’t bully the Detroit Pistons anymore, especially not in the Palace of Auburn Hills, a place that’s become a house of horrors in the last two years. After a fourth quarter of driving to the basket, Derrick Rose’s potential winning jumper went wide and the Pistons took over in the extra five, giving them a 98-94 win Friday night.