Nikola Vucevic called the game!
Vucevic hit a buzzer beater 3-pointer and Josh Giddey and the Chicago Bulls beat the Portland Trail Blazers 122-121 in a thriller.
The Blazers came back strongly in Thursday’s game (all time AEDT) in their home building with a huge comeback in the fourth quarter.
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Down 16 entering the final period, Portland came home in a one-sided finish, with a Deni Avdija triple tying the scores at 116-116 with 1:22 left.
A Donovan Clingan and-one extended the Blazers’ lead and Avdija split two free throws to make it a 120-116 game with 16.2 on the clock.
Coby White kept Chicago alive with three deep points to cut the visitors’ deficit to just one at 120-119, while Jerami Grant split two free throws to give the Bulls a chance to win the game.
And that’s exactly what Vucevic did.
Giddey headed to White, who dribbled into the paint then kicked out Vucevic in the corner for the game-winning shot as the Bulls players went wild in celebration.
“I didn’t make any shots in the fourth quarter…it’s just not a great fourth quarter for me and for the team…(but) I just felt confident in my shot, and I’m glad it went in, glad we got the win,” Vucevic told the Chicago Sports Network broadcast after the game.
“Obviously I would have liked us to finish the game sooner, but it’s great to get the match winner – it’s special, you always enjoy it a lot.”
Asked about the Bulls’ resilience after ceding the lead, Vucevic said: “That says a lot, but we can’t always sit here and talk about resilience. At some point we have to beat a team that, once we get up 10-15, almost 20 points tonight, keeps their foot on the gas and finishes the game… going forward, we can’t rely on backups.”
It wasn’t Giddey’s best night, including an inefficient 3-of-9 shooting for nine points with five turnovers, but he dished out 13 assists and grabbed five rebounds.
Vucevic’s 27 points led the Bulls and White added 25 off the bench.
It was the 35-year-old Vucevic’s second game-winning play in as many games after his stunning 3-point basket. led the Bulls past Denver earlier this week in a game that also went down to the wire.
That means Chicago went 2-1 on its Northwest road trip and has won two in a row after a five-game losing streak.
Avdija had a 32-point triple-double and Grant scored a game-high 33 points, but it wasn’t enough as Portland, which was on the second end of a back-to-back, lost its fourth straight game.
ALL RESULTS
Rockets 114 Horsemen 104
Hornets 118 Pacers 127
Raptors 12176ers 112
Warriors 96 Heat 110
Wizards 109 Timber wolves 120
Nuggets 125 Pelicans 118
Kings 99 Thunder 113
Knicks 113 Nonconformists 111
Bulls 122 Trail Blazers 121
