LaVine’s last minute show anchors Chicago’s victory
Los Angeles, Feb. 13: Zach LaVine’s scored 18 points but his biggest contributions came late in the game as the Chicago Bulls eased past the Orlando Magic 105- 101 on Monday.
LaVine busted loose for a thunderous go- ahead dunk to break a 101- 101 tie then iced the win with two free throws for the Bulls, who won despite blowing an 18- point lead in the fourth quarter.
Lauri Markkanen delivered 21 points as Chicago won their second straight after losing seven in a row. LaVine stole Jonathon Simmons’ inbounds pass with 15 seconds left and finished with a slam. He added the free throws after Mario Hezonja missed a three- pointer.
“I was trying to be aggressive on the inbounds,” LaVine said adding, “I wasn’t trying to obviously go for a steal and be able to get out of position, but it opened up like it did.”
“I embrace it. You have to get it done. Everybody wants to have the ball in their hands at the end of games. But you have to have the confidence and the ability to do it. And I think I do.”
Bobby Portis added 19 points and seven rebounds, and Jerian Grant had 14 points and seven assists in the win.
Hezonja led Orlando with 24 points, and Evan Fournier scored 22.
The Bulls appeared to be headed to victory after going on an 11- 0 run that gave them a 93- 75 lead with eight minutes remaining.
But the Magic didn’t give up as Hezonja nailed a three- pointer with just over three minutes left in regulation to give them a two point, 98- 96 lead.
Portis later tied it 101- 101 by hitting a shot from beyond the arc with 2: 29 left, setting the stage for LaVine’s final minute heroics.
In Salt Lake City, Donovan Mitchell hit the go- ahead pull- up jumper with 39 seconds left as the Utah Jazz stretched their league- best winning streak to 10 games with a 101- 99 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Mitchell, who finished with 25 points, hit a pair of go- ahead baskets and a free throw to give the Jazz the lead in the final minute.
Joe Ingles finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Jazz who had to rally from a 13- point deficit in the fourth. Derrick Favors tallied 19 points and eight rebounds.
Pau Gasol scored 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and Kyle Anderson delivered 16 points and for the Spurs, who lost to Utah for the third time this season.
Elsewhere, Anthony Davis finished with 38 points and 10 rebounds, Jrue Holiday and Nikola Mirotic each scored 21, and the New Orleans Pelicans stopped the Detroit Pistons 118- 103. Stephen Curry scored 22 points, and Golden State coach Steve Kerr tried to break up the monotony of a long season by turning the timeout huddles over to his players in the Warriors’ 129- 83 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night.
With the defending champion Warriors dragging a bit leading into the All- Star break this weekend, Kerr apparently searched for a new way to capture his players’ interests by handing over the whiteboard during timeouts to a rotating cast of players, with injured Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala getting most of the chances.
Kerr spent the breaks outside the huddle while his players drew out plays and discussed strategy. The move worked just fine against the struggling Suns, who became the first team with 40 losses this season.
Omri Casspi added 19 points, Kevin Durant had 17 and Klay Thompson and Nick Young each scored 16 as Golden State won its 12th straight in the series, its longest active streak against any team.
Elfrid Payton scored 29 points in his second game since being acquired at the trade deadline from Orlando, but Phoenix still lost its sixth straight and 11th in the past 12 games.
Payton scored 16 points in the first quarter before Curry got on the scoreboard, but he got little help. Payton made his first seven shots, but his teammates started 1- for- 15 and the Warriors managed to take a 25- 24 lead by the end of the first after being outscored by 32 points in the first quarter of the previous three games.
Curry scored 10 points in the second quarter as Golden State built a 17point lead at the half and coasted the rest of the way.
G. Devin Booker ( hip pointer) missed his fourth straight game, and G. Tyler Ulis ( back) sat for the second straight game. Phoenix has lost 12 straight games in Oakland.