Bulls can't hold fourth quarter lead against Pistons, lose third straight

AUBURN HILLS, MICH—The margins in the Eastern Conference aside from Cleveland and Toronto are thin, and the Bulls found them themselves sitting outside the playoff picture last year because taking care of business against peer competition was too much. It was the same old story from the night before in their late loss to Portland Monday, as the Bulls held a slim lead into the fourth quarter and couldn’t hold it as their defense and bench let them down. It is what it is right now,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said.