|
CLEVELAND, Ohio: The Chicago Bulls, still nursing playoff hopes,
rallied for a 101-98 National Basketball Association victory over
the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.
Ben Gordon scored 14 of his 24 points in the
fourth quarter, while Larry Hughes led the Bulls with 25 points and
Luol Deng and reserve Andres Nocioni chipped in 15 apiece for the
Bulls, who snapped a six-game road losing streak.
The Bulls climbed within five games of the idle
Atlanta Hawks for the final postseason spot in the Eastern
Conference with seven games left.
Cleveland superstar LeBron James scored 33
points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 23 with 7 rebounds.
James drilled a 20-foot jumper with 4:09 left in
the third period, giving the Cavaliers a 78-61 bulge.
However, Chicago cut the deficit to eight after
three quarters, and then Gordon took over.
In his 38th game off the bench, Gordon hit a
jumper with 8:42 left that drew the Bulls within 91-87 with 8:42 to
play. His third 3-pointer of the game 1:50 later got Chicago within
95-92.
The Bulls tied it at 96-96 on a pair of foul
shots by Gordon with 3:57 left, and he sank three free throws with
1:42 left to give the Bulls their first lead, 99-98, since the first
quarter.
Gordon sealed the victory with two more free
throws with three seconds left, as the Cavaliers failed to score in
the final three and a half minutes.
-- AFP
|
