In the final three minutes of Monday’s game in Oklahoma City, the Chicago Bulls panicked.
Zach LaVine and Troy Brown Jr. ran straight into half-court traps. Nikola Vučevic sent off-balance 3-pointers sailing past the rim. Billy Donovan called timeouts in an urgent attempt to calm his team, watching as the Thunder carved a 28-point Bulls lead down to a single point.
The bell ultimately saved the Bulls, who pulled out a 111-110 victory iced by free throws from LaVine and Javonte Green in their first game back from injuries. The win was the latest in a long string of sloppy, off-kilter games — but it was a win nonetheless, ending a three-game trip on a high note as the Bulls broke the free fall of a 2-7 skid.
