Bobcats 91, Bulls 81
CHICAGO - The Charlotte Bobcats got balanced scoring from four different guards and beat the Chicago Bulls 91-81 on Monday at the United Center, snapping an 18-game losing streak.
Kemba Walker led the Bobcats with 18 points. Gerald Henderson scored 16, while Ramon Sessions and ex-Bull Ben Gordon each had 15 points off the bench.
It was the Bobcats' first win since they won at Washington in overtime on Nov. 24.
With the score tied heading into the fourth quarter, Charlotte took control with a 10-0 run. The Bulls struggled to keep up with the Bobcats' quick guards and didn't score in the fourth quarter until forward Jimmy Butler hit two free throws with 7:33 remaining.
Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau resorted to fouling intentionally to try to lengthen the game. First, the Bulls picked on Bobcats center Bismack Biyombo, and when he was pulled from the court, they tried fouling Jeff Adrien and Hakim Warrick. Charlotte made 21-of-38 free throws on the day.
The Bulls struggled to make up ground, though. They failed to convert on three possessions while trailing 77-69. After they got within 82-75 on a Carlos Boozer putback, Warrick skied for a one-hand dunk and completed a three-point play with 2:18 remaining.
Chicago shot 35.1 percent from the field overall and hit just 6 of 26 shots in the fourth quarter. Luol Deng led the Bulls with 20 points, while Boozer had 19 and Richard Hamilton 11.
The underdog Bobcats had the Bulls on their heels throughout. The visitors controlled the boards early and jumped to a 28-18 lead. Chicago shot just 29.2 percent in the first quarter and became the first Charlotte opponent all season not to reach 20 points in the opening 12 minutes.
The Bulls closed within 47-42 by halftime, but Charlotte went ahead by as many as 12 points after a pair of Walker free throws with 9:05 left in the third.
Chicago finally showed signs of life, using a 16-6 run to tie the score at 65-65 by the end of the third quarter.
