Field Level Media
28 Jan 2020, 09:35 GMT+10
Zach LaVine hit a pair of go-ahead free throws with 2.1 seconds remaining to cap a 23-point effort, and reserve guard Denzel Valentine added 16 points to lift the host Chicago Bulls to a 110-109 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.
San Antonio's DeMar DeRozan missed the back end of a 1-and-1 with 0.2 seconds remaining and missed a putback try at the buzzer as the Spurs lost their third straight game.
Chicago relied on seven double-figure scorers to earn successive wins for the first time since Dec. 18-21. LaVine scored 14 points in the final 12 minutes to help the Bulls erase a 10-point deficit.
DeRozan scored 36 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Patty Mills added 25 points off the bench for the Spurs, who were playing without forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who was sidelined because of a sprained right thumb.
The Bulls prevailed in a wild finish. DeRozan hit a jumper over Kris Dunn with 8.6 seconds left to tie the score at 108, but LaVine drew a foul against Jakob Poeltl on Chicago's next possession. Dunn fouled DeRozan when the Spurs got the ball back, but DeRozan hit only 1 of 2 foul shots. The Spurs were just 23 for 34 (67.6 percent) from the line for the game.
Poeltl notched a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Trey Lyles chipped in 10 points.
Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky added 13 points apiece for the Bulls, while Luke Kornet (12), Coby White (11) and Dunn (10) rounded out a balanced attack.
Valentine, who has spent much of the season in coach Jim Boylen's doghouse -- and therefore out of Chicago's regular rotation -- contributed four rebounds and three assists while shooting 6 of 10 from the field to tie his season high for scoring. Young and Kornet both grabbed nine rebounds.
San Antonio yielded six points in the final 41.9 seconds of the second quarter as Chicago took a 50-48 lead into halftime. Satoransky capped the Bulls' spurt with a steal and layup at the buzzer.
The Spurs led by as many as 11 points in the first half while limiting LaVine to four points on 1-for-8 shooting. Mills led all scorers with 12 points at the break.
San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich told reporters before the game that Aldridge did not travel with the team, remaining in San Antonio after suffering the thumb injury during Sunday's 110-106 loss to the Toronto Raptors. Aldridge contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds against Toronto for his team-high 12th double-double.
Monday marked the third game Aldridge has missed this season. He was sidelined with right-thigh soreness in early December.
The teams are set to conclude the season series March 20 in San Antonio.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Chicago Chronicle news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Chicago Chronicle.
More InformationNEW YORK, New YorK - U.S. stocks closed mixed on Friday, with gains and losses modest, as investors and traders weighed up the escalation...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Retail sales dropped sharply in May as consumer spending slowed after a strong start to the year, primarily due to...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Mitsubishi Motors is the latest automaker to raise prices in the United States, joining a growing list of car companies...
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana: Eli Lilly is making a bold play in cardiovascular gene therapy, announcing plans to acquire its partner Verve...
BEIJING/WELLINGTON: New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon commenced his visit to China on June 17, seeking to strengthen trade...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks made only minor moves in both directions,Thursday, as investors fretted about the Israel-Iran conflict...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Mitsubishi Motors is the latest automaker to raise prices in the United States, joining a growing list of car companies...
WASHINGTON, DC - In a bid to defuse speculation, U.S. President Donald Trump says he will make his decision on whether to have the...
The US president has urged ICE agents to focus on Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and other Democratic strongholds US President Donald...
ESPN today announced updates to its 2025 Sunday Night Baseball Presented by Capital One and MLB on ESPN schedules. The Chicago Cubs...
TORU, Poland - Soldiers with the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Illinois Army National Guard, recently spent two weeks in Torn,...
Tommy Yarrish FRISCO, TexasWith the offseason program in the rear-view mirror, training camp is the last thing standing in front...