FINAL FROM THE UNITED CENTER:
New Orleans 125, Bulls 119 (Bulls 19-34, 11-16 at home)
LEADING SCORERS: Bulls: LaVine: 22 pts. New Orleans: Williamson: 21 pts.
LEADING REBOUNDERS: Bulls: Hutchison: 8. New Orleans: Favors: 15.
LEADING ASSISTS: Bulls: White: 9. New Orleans Ball: 10.
New Orleans wins season series 2-0
STAT OF THE GAME: Adam Makoka, in his sixth NBA game, scored 15 points in the final five minutes of the contest, going 6-6 from the field. Makoka entered the game without scoring a field goal in nine attempts.
RECAP: The Pelicans nearly blew a 27 point lead as Adam Makoka and the Bulls reserves staged a furious fourth-quarter rally outscoring the Pelicans 38-22. The Pelicans, however, did manage to score 72 points in the first half. Zion Williamson was a force in the post going 9 of 11 from the field. All nine field made goals came within three feet of the net.
Chandler Hutchison continues to take the next step of being a very valuable player on the Bulls by scoring 16 points and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. The Bulls bench scored 58 points. The Bulls have dropped four straight games.
UP NEXT: At Philadelphia Sunday.
24 SECONDS NBA NEWS AND NOTES:
"Game of the Night" Houston 121, Los Angeles Lakers 111: Russell Westbrook scored 41 points and went over 20-thousand career points. Can you say HOF? Absolutely 100%. The Rockets ended the game on a 19-5 run.
Milwaukee 112, Philadelphia 101: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 36 points and 20 rebounds as the sizzling Bucks improved to a league-best 44-7 and is on pace to win 70 games. The 76ers went 0-4 on their road trip.
Portland 125, San Antonio 117: The Blazers' Hassan Whiteside secured 23 rebounds as the Spurs fell 4 1/2 games behind eight seed Memphis.
New York 105, Orlando 103: The Knicks have won three straight. The free-falling Magic have dropped seven of eight.
COMINGS AND GOINGS: D'Angelo Russell is now in Minnesota - Andrew Wiggins is with Golden State. Andre Drummond is a Cavalier. Marcus Morris was sent to the Clippers. Maurice Harkless winds up with the Knicks. Jerome Robinson goes to Washington.
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