Jimmy Butler hit four free throws late in the game and finished with 22 points, Derrick Rose scored 21 points and the Chicago Bulls pulled out a 109-102 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday.
Pau Gasol had 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Joakim Noah added 15 points with 14 boards for the Bulls, who had lost four of their previous six games. Boston has lost six of seven.
Jared Sullinger led Boston with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Avery Bradley had 18 points and Brandon Bass 16 with nine boards. Rajon Rondo had eight points, seven rebounds and nine assists for the Celtics.
With the score tied at 100, Jeff Green's driving basket put the Celtics ahead with 2 1/2 minutes left. After each team failed to score on a couple of possessions, Butler's two free throws tied it with 80 seconds to play.
Rondo missed two free throws and Sullinger front-rimmed an attempted 3 before Butler's two free throws moved the Bulls ahead for good, 104-102, with 51 seconds left. Noah then nailed a short jumper on their next possession.
Boston missed 17 of its first 20 shots in the final quarter before Sullinger's conventional 3-point play tied it at 100 with 3 minutes to play. He was fouled driving down the lane by Noah, who was attempting to draw a charge.
The Celtics held a 91-85 edge after three periods when Sullinger made a 3 with four-tenths of a second left in the quarter.
Rose was held to seven points in the opening half before the 2010-11 MVP scored 12 in the opening 4 minutes of the second half, tying it at 68 with a 3 from the right wing. After he went to the bench with 4:52 left in the third, he didn't return until 7:02 remained in the game.
TIP-INS
Bulls: Rose played his third straight game after missing four with a strained left hamstring. Coach Tom Thibodeau said recent criticism is fair of Rose's decision to miss games with injuries. ''Yes. Because it's really not that important and I've told him this: 'Whether it's praise or criticism, it's all the same.' It's really what he thinks.'' he said. ''Only he knows if he's putting everything he has into each and every day. Once he know he's done all you can do, you should feel good about it. I've told him this many times, 'If he's injured, I don't want him out there, and if he's healthy, I want him to go.' Hopefully we're moving forward.''
Celtics: G Marcus Smart missed his eighth straight game with a sprained left ankle. ''He pulled himself out (of practice) after a few minutes on Wednesday,'' coach Brad Stevens said. ''The ankle was still tender.''
UP NEXT
Bulls: At Brooklyn on Sunday.
Celtics: Host San Antonio on Sunday.
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