Chicago Bulls

Victor Oladipo Sparks Late Rally as Pacers Race Past Bulls

The Bulls struggled down the stretch in the fourth quarter, with Indiana tying the game late

Victor Oladipo's only 3-pointer tied the score with 10 seconds left in regulation, and Malcolm Brogdon scored seven of his 15 points in overtime, helping the Indiana Pacers rally for a 115-106 victory over Chicago on Wednesday night.

Oladipo had nine points in his first game back since suffering a season-ending knee injury last January. T.J. Warren had 25 points to lead the Pacers, who have won eight of their last 10. Brogdon also had eight rebounds and nine assists.

Chandler Hutchison finished with a career-high 21 points, while Zach LaVine added 20 for Chicago, which lost its eighth straight in the series.

The night belonged to Oladipo, who hadn't played since rupturing a quad tendon in his right last year.

Coach Nate McMillan told reporters before the game that Oladipo would come off the bench and be limited to 24 minutes. When he entered the game with 4:12 left in the first quarter, Bulls coach Jim Boylen shook Oladipo's hand at the scorer's table, the crowd roared and waved gold placards with the words “Ready 4 Action," and some Chicago players applauded, too.

Clearly, Oladipo was rusty. He was 2 of 8 from the field and 1 of 7 on 3s in 21 minutes. He had two rebounds, four assists and two turnovers.

But he capped a 7-0 run to close regulation with the 3 that tied the score at 100.

LaVine had a chance to win it but lost the ball on the way up on a 7-foot runner and the ball rolled out of bounds as the buzzer sounded.

It gave the Pacers a jolt of energy and they took full advantage.

Justin Holiday opened the overtime with a 3, Brogdon followed with a layup and another 3 before sealing it with a dunk with 1:16 to play.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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