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Jimmy Butler returned from illness and Dwayne Wade scored 17 points in the 4th quarter as the Chicago Bulls beat the New Orleans Pelicans 107-99. The win ended Chicago’s three game losing streak and improved there record to 20-21 on the season. The loss ended the Pelicans two game winning streak and dropped them to 16-25 for the season.
Chicago got out to an early eight point lead at 14-6. The Pelicans got the lead down to four points at one time, but with 2:45 left in the quarter they found themselves back down by eight points at 21-13. New Orleans went on a 9-0 run to end the 1st quarter and when Tyreke Evans hit a lay up with :12 seconds left the Pelicans had a 22-21 at the end of the quarter.
Chicago went right back to the lead in the 2nd quarter and then started to build one. After a 20 to 8 run to start the quarter the Bulls had a 11 point lead at 41-30. The Pelicans where only able to cut the lead to seven points and they did that on two different occasions, but the Bulls where able to push the lead right back to double digits. The Bulls took a 10 point lead at the half 55-45.
The Bulls built the lead to 15 points at 66-51 with 6:30 left in the quarter. The Pelicans went on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to six points at 66-60. The Bulls where able to push the lead back to double digits at 73-62 before New Orleans made another run. New Orleans finished the quarter on a 9 to 4 run to make it a 77-71 game heading into the final quarter.
New Orleans continued cutting into the Bulls lead at the start of the 4th quarter. By scoring seven of the first eight points in the quarter the Pelicans where down by just one point at 79-78. The teams traded hoops before the Bulls went on a 11 to 2 run to take a 91-82 lead. The closet New Orleans got after that was five points as the Bulls where able to hold them off for a 107-99 win.
In his return Jimmy Butler led the Bulls in scoring with 28 points and assists with 6. Dwayne Wade had 22 points while Taj Gibson scored 15 points and grabbed a game high 16 rebounds. Michael Carter-Williams had 11 points and Robin Lopez also pitched in 10 rebounds.
Anthony Davis was the games high scorer with 36 points and also grabbed 14 rebounds for the Pelicans. Solomon Hill was the only other New Orleans starter to score in double figures with 10 points. Former Bull E’Twaun Moore scored 16 points off the New Orleans bench. Moore went 4 of 5 from behind the 3-point line in the game. Tyreke Evans also scored double figures off the Pelicans bench with 14 points.
This was the first game of another back to back for the Bulls. They’re on the road tomorrow night against the 25-17 Memphis Grizzlies. New Orleans gets a day off before heading to Indiana to play the 20-19 Pacers in a Monday afternoon game.
Published by John Burke
