Bulls move closer to East title

Chicago: Derrick Rose returned to the lineup to help Chicago Bulls beat the Dallas Mavericks 93-83 on Saturday and increase their lead over the Miami Heat in the race for the Eastern Conference's top seed.

Rose, who had missed three games with a foot/ankle injury contributed 11 points and eight assists as the Bulls took a two-and-a-half game lead over the Heat with two games left in their schedule.

A win by the Bulls in either of their games or a loss by Miami, who have three games remaining, would give the top seed to Chicago.

"We're not worried about no other team," Rose told reporters. "We're just trying to win every game." The Heat were surprised 86-84 by the Washington Wizards on a last-second field goal.

Miami rested LeBron James and Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade left after three minutes with a dislocated left index finger.

In Chicago, Luol Deng scored 22 points and Richard Hamilton 19 for the Bulls, who held defending champion Dallas to just eight points in the first quarter.

Tough team

"They are a tough team to put the ball in the basket against," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said of the Bulls' first quarter defence.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 17 points for Dallas. Rodrigue Beaubois added 16 as he started for Jason Kidd, who along with Jason Terry sat out the game to rest as the Texan side prepare for the playoffs.

Elsewhere, the Denver Nuggets clinched a Western Conference playoff spot with a 118-107 road victory over the Phoenix Suns.