Zach LaVine’s career-high 41st point, a free throw with 0.2 seconds left in the second overtime, snapped a tie and lifted the visiting Chicago Bulls to a 116-115 win over the New York Knicks on Monday.
The Bulls snapped a four-game losing streak. The Knicks lost for the third time in four games.
Antonio Blakeney had 17 points and Jabari Parker added 15 points for the Bulls, who received a double-double from Wendell Carter Jr. (11 points, 13 rebounds).
Knicks reserve Enes Kanter had a historic game in defeat by recording 23 points, 24 rebounds and seven assists. Kanter is the first player to notch at least 20 points, 20 rebounds and five assists off the bench since Hall of Famer Charles Barkley had 31 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 28, 1986.
Allonzo Trier had 21 points for the Knicks while Damyean Dotson (18 points), Emmanuel Mudiay (16 points) and Mario Hezonja (15 points) all scored in double figures. Noah Venleh (10 points, 11 rebounds) had a double-double.
LaVine scored the last five points for the Bulls and also came up with a key defensive stop. His driving layup with 2:19 left in the second overtime gave the Bulls a 112-111 lead. After Trier’s scoop layup put the Knicks ahead by one, LaVine hit one of two free throws to tie the score with 1:07 remaining.
After Kanter missed a jumper, LaVine hit a driving layup to give the Bulls the lead with 43.5 seconds left. LaVine missed a potential game-sealing pull-up with 10.9 seconds left, after which Mudiay tied the score with a layup with 2.7 seconds remaining. Following a timeout, LaVine took the in-bounds pass around half court and drove the lane, where he was fouled by Mudiay.
LaVine hit the first free throw to break his previous career high, set when he was playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 23, 2016, and missed the second on purpose. Trier pulled down the rebound but could not get a shot off as the clock expired.
Trier and Hezonja each missed potential game-winning shots in the final five seconds of regulation for the Knicks, who didn’t lead after the second quarter until Mudiay opened the first overtime with a layup.
There were three ties and three lead changes in the first overtime, which ended with a chaotic final minute in which the two teams combined to miss four shots, including an open-look 30-footer by Kanter just before the buzzer.
—Field Level Media
