Lakers outlast Bulls in wild 2OT finish
The Chicago Bulls came away with a thrilling, bizarre, and goofy overtime win against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. Their next time out found them on the other end of a similar contest.
The Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Bulls 123-118 in double overtime on Thursday night at Staples Center, weathering a furious Chicago comeback at the end of regulation and coming up with big plays in both extra periods to snap a nine-game losing streak.
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They should have closed it out well before the eventual final buzzer. Up 98-89 with just 1:29 remaining in regulation, the Lakers struggled against the Bulls full-court press, turning it over twice in a span of 19 seconds and giving up nine straight points to newly named All-Star Jimmy Butler to allow the visitors back into the game. Former Laker Pau Gasol, whose time with the team was honored with a shirt giveaway on Thursday, sent the game to the first overtime with this tip-in off a Derrick Rose miss with 11 seconds on the clock:
Jordan Hill missed a potential winner on the next possession, but he made up for it with a huge tying shot of his own. With 16 seconds left in OT and the Lakers down 106-104, Hill nailed this 20-footer to tie it up:
Rose missed a potential winner on a very frustrating and deliberate isolation play on the next possession. It was indicative of his night as a whole — Rose finished with 17 points on 7-of-26 shooting (including 1-of-7 in the two overtimes) in a performance that continued many of the problems he had against the Warriors before his game-winning shot helped him to save face. The Bulls had much more success when the offense went through All-Stars Butler (35 points on 9-of-17 FG and 14-of-16 FT) and Gasol (20 points on 8-of-14 FG, 10 boards, six assists, and four blocks). Joakim Noah (17 rebounds and nine assists) also had an effective all-around game. This behind-the-back pass from Noah to Gasol in the first OT was a particular highlight:
Unfortunately for Chicago, their key guys all played more than 42 minutes (Butler saw 49 before missing the final possessions after coming up with a limp). It looked as if two consecutive overtimes may have worn on them, because the Bulls missed badly on many shots in late moments and looked like the slower team.
On the other side, the Lakers played with a freshness and vigor that has been missing for most of the season. It was not a perfect performance by any means — they almost lost a near-certain win in regulation, remember — but there was a lot to like about their play. Hill had a fantastic game with a season-high 26 points to go along with 12 rebounds, while Wayne Ellington (Kobe’s replacement in the starting lineup) added 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting. Four more players scored in double figures to continue the balanced offensive effort.
In the end, Gasol’s tying tip-in may have made life tougher for the Bulls. As noted by ESPN.com’s J.A. Adande, the team had its flight to Phoenix pushed back 40 minutes ahead of Friday night’s game vs. the Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. We will see if the extra work hurts the Bulls in that one. They could certainly use a smooth victory after two ragged games in a row.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
