It was a wild finish in Chicago, as the Bulls escaped with a 108-107 win over the Philadelphia 76ers thanks to some late-game heroics from Zach LaVine.
After Jimmy Butler hit two free throws to give the 76ers a 107-106 lead with 4.8 seconds remaining, LaVine worked the dribble handoff with Robin Lopez, slicing through the defence to bury the go-ahead bucket, getting fouled in the process.
ZACH LAVINE DOUBLE CLUTCHES FOR THE LEAD!#BullsNation 108#HereTheyCome 107
— NBA (@NBA) March 7, 2019
0.5 on the clock on @ESPNNBA. PHI ball. pic.twitter.com/nW80PYnINz
He missed the free throw, but it was enough to give the Bulls the win.... but the drama wasn't over.
With 0.5 seconds remaining, LaVine got his hands on Ben Simmons' lob pass to Butler, with both teams leaving the court, however, it was ruled that the clock had started prior to the play. After plenty of confusion, both teams returned to the floor with the officials putting 0.5 seconds back on the clock, but the 76ers were unable to get a look at the basket.
LaVine finished with 39 points on the night, including 13 in the fourth quarter. Robin Lopez added 19 points and nine rebounds, while Otto Porter recorded 15 points and nine assists.
The 76ers held a 10-point lead with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but they went scoreless over the next 2.5 minutes, struggling to keep the Bulls at bay down the stretch.
Ben Simmons finished with 18 points on 7-for-14 shooting, adding 11 rebounds, seven assists and four steals, while Jimmy Butler scored 22 points against his former team as the 76ers move to 41-24 on the season ahead of Saturday's blockbuster game against the Houston Rockets.