Milwaukee, WI (SportsNetwork.com) - Mike Dunleavy's go-ahead 3-pointer with
5.8 seconds left lifted the Chicago Bulls to a 91-90 triumph over the
Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
Milwaukee's Khris Middleton broke an 88-88 tie with 29.8 seconds left after he
got a circus left-handed shot to fall over Dunleavy with the shot clock
running down.
Jimmy Butler was called for traveling at the other end, but Joakim Noah forced
a jump ball along the left baseline on Gary Neal.
Noah won the tap back to Boozer and Kirk Hinrich dribbled to the right wing
before finding Dunleavy, who banked home the triple from the top of the arc.
"When it left my hand, I thought it had a good chance to go in. I thought it
was going to bank in because (John) Henson was out there and I had to get it
up over his outstretched arm," Dunleavy said.
Noah blocked O.J. Mayo's runner at the other end to seal the outcome.
"It should not have come down to it," Bucks head coach Larry Drew said of
Dunleavy's shot. "We were in position where we should have closed that game
out."
Noah filled the stat sheet with 21 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, three
blocks and three steals for Chicago, which snapped a three-game slide. Boozer
added 14 points and 12 boards and Butler netted 16 points in the victory.
John Henson had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Bucks, who have dropped
five of their last seven tilts.
The Bulls trailed 88-83 with 1:30 left, but Dunleavy sunk three free throws
after he was fouled on a three to get Chicago within two. Mayo missed a jumper
at the other end and Boozer swished in a left baseline jumper to knot the tilt
with 54.9 ticks on the clock.
Earlier, Butler capped a 10-0 Bulls run during the latter stages of the first
with a trey to make it 26-16 in favor of Chicago before the visitors took a
26-18 spread into the second.
Neal knocked down a triple and recorded a three-point play on back-to-back
trips down the floor to finish off an 11-3 spurt to knot the contest at 29-29
near the midway point of the second.
The Bucks took a 51-47 spread into the break and led 69-62 after three.
Game Notes
Hinrich had 13 points and eight assists ... Mayo scored 14 points ... Chicago
outrebounded Milwaukee 44-38 ... The Bucks defeated the Bulls in Chicago 78-74
on Tuesday.