Nikola Vucevic helps Bulls survive Thunder’s late rally

MILWAUKEE, WI - JANUARY 21: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Chicago Bulls shoots a free throw during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on January 21, 2022 at the Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images).

By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net

Nikola Vucevic fought back a bruised knee to help the Chicago Bulls snap a two-game skid by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-110 on the road.

Vucevic dropped a double-double of 26 points, 15 rebounds along with 4 assists to help the Bulls survive the Thunder’s late comeback and escape Oklahoma with the victory.

Ayo Dossunmu added up to Vucevic’s efforts with 24 points, 8 assists and Zach LaVine dropped 23 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists to keep the Bulls intact.

Shai-Gilgeous Alexander tried to pace Oklahoma’s comeback in the second half with 31 points, 10 assists though his efforts fell short. Luguentz Dort added 16 points for the hosts and Mike Muscala had 14 points.

Jonas Valanciunas had another strong performance with 16 points and 12 rebounds to lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a 117-113 win over the Indiana Pacers. Devonte Graham was the leading scorer for the Pelicans with 25 points and Josh Hart tapped 22 points and 10 rebounds, as the Pelicans grabbed their second straight win.

Duane Washington led the way for Pacers with 21 points, Caris LeVert had 19 points and big man Goga Bitadze added 12 points and 5 rebounds.

Devin Booker and Chris Paul combined 60 points to hand the Phoenix Suns a 115-109 victory over the Utah Jazz at home. Booker starred with 33 points, 7 rebounds, while Paul had a double-double of 27 points and 14 assists for the Suns.

Jordan Clarkson led the undermanned Jazz with 22 points, Trent Forrest dropped 17 points, while Eric Pascal and Danuel House both added 14.

Kevin Love scored 20 points and Darius Garland added 13 points and a critical late three to help the Cleveland Cavaliers outlast the New York Knicks 95-93.

Garland also had 12 assists for the Cavs, while Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade followed with 14 and 13 points respectively.

RJ Barrett had a game-high with 24 points for the Knicks, that have now lost four of their last five games. Julius Randle tapped 18 points and 7 rebounds for the visitors and Nerlens Noel had a team-high 13 assists.

NBA January 24 results:

Cleveland Cavaliers – New York Knicks 95-93
New Orleans Pelicans – Indiana Pacers 117-113
Oklahoma City Thunder – Chicago Bulls 110-111
Phoenix Suns – Utah Jazz 115-109

NBA standings:

Eastern Conference
TEAM W L WIN% GB CONF DIV HOME ROAD OT LAST 10 STREAK

1 Miami Heat

30 17 .638 19-9 8-2 16-5 14-12 0-2 7-3 W 1

2 Chicago Bulls

29 17 .630 0.5 19-11 6-3 16-6 13-11 0-0 3-7 W 1

3 Brooklyn Nets

29 17 .630 0.5 20-9 6-1 12-11 17-6 2-0 5-5 L 1

4 Milwaukee Bucks

30 19 .612 1 19-15 7-2 17-8 13-11 0-2 5-5 W 3

5 Cleveland Cavaliers

29 19 .604 1.5 16-10 4-2 14-9 15-10 0-0 8-2 W 2

6 Philadelphia 76ers

27 19 .587 2.5 17-12 4-6 10-10 17-9 1-1 7-3 W 1

7 Charlotte Hornets

26 21 .553 4 17-11 5-5 13-7 13-14 0-4 7-3 L 1

8 Boston Celtics

24 24 .500 6.5 17-13 5-6 15-10 9-14 4-2 6-4 W 1

9 Toronto Raptors

22 22 .500 6.5 14-13 5-5 12-12 10-10 0-1 5-5 L 1

10 Washington Wizards

23 24 .489 7 16-16 6-5 13-11 10-13 3-0 4-6 L 3

11 New York Knicks

23 25 .479 7.5 14-19 4-6 12-14 11-11 1-0 5-5 L 1

12 Atlanta Hawks

21 25 .457 8.5 13-15 6-5 11-11 10-14 0-0 5-5 W 4

13 Indiana Pacers

17 31 .354 13.5 8-22 2-7 12-12 5-19 2-3 3-7 L 2

14 Detroit Pistons

11 35 .239 18.5 7-19 2-7 7-14 4-21 1-1 4-6 L 2

15 Orlando Magic

9 39 .188 21.5 6-28 2-10 3-17 6-22 0-1 2-8 W 1
Western Conference
TEAM W L WIN% GB CONF DIV HOME ROAD OT LAST 10 STREAK

1 Phoenix Suns

37 9 .804 23-7 5-4 19-5 18-4 1-0 9-1 W 7

2 Golden State Warriors

34 13 .723 3.5 18-8 7-1 21-4 13-9 0-2 5-5 W 2

3 Memphis Grizzlies

32 17 .653 6.5 24-11 4-4 17-9 15-8 2-0 7-3 L 1

4 Utah Jazz

30 18 .625 8 19-8 10-0 15-9 15-9 0-0 2-8 L 2

5 Dallas Mavericks

27 20 .574 10.5 21-11 10-2 15-9 12-11 1-1 8-2 W 1

6 Denver Nuggets

24 21 .533 12.5 16-14 4-6 13-9 11-12 2-0 6-4 W 1

7 Minnesota Timberwolves

23 23 .500 14 16-15 4-4 13-10 10-13 1-1 7-3 W 1

8 Los Angeles Lakers

23 24 .489 14.5 13-16 2-6 15-12 8-12 5-1 5-5 L 1

9 LA Clippers

23 25 .479 15 13-20 3-5 15-12 8-13 0-2 4-6 L 1

10 Portland Trail Blazers

20 26 .435 17 8-19 1-5 14-11 6-15 0-1 6-4 W 2

11 New Orleans Pelicans

18 28 .391 19 11-16 2-4 11-11 7-17 1-1 5-5 W 2

12 Sacramento Kings

18 30 .375 20 13-20 5-6 12-16 6-14 1-0 2-8 L 3

13 San Antonio Spurs

17 30 .362 20.5 10-17 1-5 9-15 8-15 0-3 2-8 L 2

14 Houston Rockets

14 33 .298 23.5 7-19 2-4 7-13 7-20 1-0 4-6 L 1

15 Oklahoma City Thunder

14 33 .298 23.5 10-21 1-5 8-15 6-18 0-0 1-9 L 6

Photo: Getty Images

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