NEWARK, N.J. – Derrick Rose scored 21 points and the Chicago Bulls extended their longest winning streak in six years to eight games with an 84-73 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Thursday night.

Luol Deng added 19 points for the Bulls (49-18), who took a half-game lead over idle Boston in the race for the best record in the Eastern Conference. Rookie Omer Asik added 11 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.

The Nets rallied in the fourth quarter but Kyle Korver had seven of his 12 in the final period, helping the Bulls hold on.

Brook Lopez scored 22 points for New Jersey, which had won five straight for its longest winning streak in the last three years. Kris Humphries added 13 points and 16 rebounds, and Deron Williams had 11 assists, but Rose controlled him on defense, limiting him to five points on 1-of-12 shooting.

The Nets rallied from a 14-point deficit in the third and tied it three times in the final 5:50, the last on two free throws by Lopez with 4:06 to go.

Deng then came off a screen and hit a jumper to put the Bulls ahead for good. After the teams exchanged empty possessions, Rose stole a cross-court pass by Williams and scored on a drive to push the lead to 73-69 with 3:18 remaining.

Anthony Morrow and Sasha Vujacic missed jumpers for New Jersey and Chicago took advantage. Korver hit a free throw after the Nets were called for an illegal defense and Joakim Noah, who was returning to the lineup after missing a game with flulike symptoms, went over Humphries for a rebound and scored for a 76-69 lead.

After Vujacic scored on a goaltending call against Rose, Korver hit a 3-pointer and Kurt Thomas converted a layup to put the game away.

KNICKS 120, GRIZZLIES 99: Toney Douglas tied a franchise record by making nine of New York’s club-record 20 3-pointers, scoring 29 points in a home win over Memphis that snapped a three-game losing streak.

Carmelo Anthony scored 28 points and Chauncey Billups added 18 for the Knicks, who were 20 of 36 (55.6 percent) from behind the arc and moved back ahead of Philadelphia into sole possession of sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

Wearing green uniforms for St. Patrick’s Day, the Knicks looked much better than they did during their slide. Douglas’ ninth 3-pointer, with 17 seconds left, gave the team a record total and allowed him to match Latrell Sprewell and John Starks on the individual game list.

Mike Conley scored 16 points for the Grizzlies, whose lead was sliced to one game over Utah for the final playoff spot in the West.

Amare Stoudemire scored 16 for the Knicks, who shot 52 percent overall and were 18 of 21 at the free-throw line.

New York had dropped three straight since Anthony’s jumper with 0.5 seconds left in a 110-108 victory at Memphis on March 9, allowing an alarming 117.3 points per game during the skid, which included a home-and-home sweep by a sub.-500 Indiana team.

The defense was better, but the story was the record-breaking perimeter game.

The Knicks turned an eight-point halftime lead into a blowout by hitting seven 3-pointers in the third quarter.