The final game of a grueling seven-game trip could have been a recipe for disaster. Instead, the Bulls dug deep to extend their winning streak to five.
Despite squandering an 11-point lead they held heading into the fourth quarter, they pulled out a 108-106 victory in overtime.
“It was just a total team effort,” Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said.
Luol Deng scored a team-high 26 points and forced Darren Collison to turn the ball over in the final seconds to preserve the triumph.
Brad Miller hit a key jumper in overtime and had 14 points off the bench. Derrick Rose followed Deng in scoring with 18 points.
David West led the Hornets with a game-high 29 points, followed by Chris Paul with 18 and Marcus Thornton with 10.
The Bulls overcame a disastrous fourth quarter during which they were outscored 25-14.
Joakim Noah had 13 points and 18 rebounds and Tyrus Thomas added 11 off the bench. The balanced scoring almost wasn’t enough, as the Hornets seemed to hit every big 3-pointer with the shot clock running down.
Paul, who injured his leg, started the parade with a 30-footer over Taj Gibson that seemed to shift the momentum in the fourth quarter. West equaled the effort with 51.5 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Bulls dodged those bullets with strong defense and smart offense in overtime.
The Bulls finished the trip 5-2 after dropping the first two games against the Warriors and Clippers.
Friday’s victory was the 1,800th in franchise history and put the Bulls above .500 for the first time since they were 6-5 after a Nov. 19 loss to the Lakers. They return home 23-22.
The night started with a pregame prayer with a pastor asking God to bless the Saints in the Super Bowl. Maybe he should have said one for the Hornets, who fell behind and played pathetic defense, allowing the Bulls to abuse them in the paint.
Thomas scored nine points in the second quarter and had 11 at halftime as the Bulls led 57-50.
The Bulls have three days to recuperate before facing the Clippers on Tuesday at the United Center.
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vxmcclure@tribune.com
