Basketball - Bulls 29-6 4th quarter run topples Pacer

With 8:52 left in the 4th quarter, the Pacers were leading the Bulls 90-73. Ben Gordan was looking more human than ever after picking up his fourth and Center Michael Sweetney had five. Nonetheless coach Scott Skiles left them both in the game and the comeback was on.

A minute later Gordan hit a baseline 3 to cut the lead to 11. With 5:55 to go Chris Duhon launched a long-range jumper that missed but was rebounded by Sweetney. On the same possession Sweetney grabbed a Nocioni 3-pt miss for a layup. The Bulls were on a 14-2 run to make the score 92-85.

At 4:58, Ben Gordan came down for a fast break but Tinsley had recovered. Gordan waiting for Chandler to come over, who set a screen knocking Tinsley to the floor. Ben used it to his advantage and sunk a 3.

And after a Sweetney hookshot and Gordan layup the game was tied with 3:00 minutes to play. Chicago was on a 19-2 and never looked back. With 53.6 seconds left the Bulls had a 97-96 lead. Jermaine O’Neal shot a pair of free-throws but missed them both. Nocioni came down for a left-handed layup to give the Bulls a 99-96 advantage.

With 32.6 left the Pacers failed to inbound the ball. But without a timeout, a five second vilation gave the ball back to the Bulls. And after a bonus Ben Gordan 3 the Bulls had one 102-96.

The win was not only huge for Chicago but Indiana. With the 76ers getting blown out in Cleveland the Bulls move within just ½ a game from Phili with both teams playing each other.

In complete contrast is the Pacers, who’ve lost 8 of 10 and 5 in a row. Indiana is just 1½ games above the Bulls at #9, and if they don’t watch it could fall out of the postseason. This game was just one of many games where the Pacers have blown it in late-game situations. In the final 8:52 they got outscored 29-6 and made just 3 field-goals without a freethrow.

One of the more humorous parts of this game was the treatment to Sarunas Jasikevicus. 2000 members of the Lithuanian Basketball Club were on hand to see Jasikevicus play, and all were seated at the upper deck. The Bulls’ Darius Songalia was also Lithuanian but was injured and could not play. Throughout the game cheers for Jasikevicus erupted from the upper-deck.

With about 5:30 left in the 3rd, the crowd began to chant his name and gave Sarunas a standing ovation when he came in with 3:06 left in the period. He finished with 9 on three 3-pters.

Ben Gordan scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the 4th. Chicago had seven players in double-figures. Stephen Jackson had 22.