McGraw: Shorthanded Bulls win in OT
Playing without two starters, Jimmy Butler (bereavement) and Mike Dunleavy (foot), the Bulls used their ninth different starting lineup of the season on Saturday.
But it was tough to tell if the missing starters made it tough, or the Bulls were afflicted with yet another case of the mediocre opponent doldrums. The Bulls already lost a home game to the Celtics on Nov. 8 and haven't been great at the United Center all season.
The Bulls made things tough on themselves again by being on the wrong end of a 25-7 run in the third quarter. This game eventually went to overtime before the Bulls made enough plays to pull out a 109-104 victory.
It hasn't always been pretty, but the Bulls (24-10) have won 12 of their last 14 games.
Pau Gasol led the way with 29 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks, while Aaron Btoks scored 19 points off the bench.
Derrick Rose struggled again with his shooting accuracy, going 5-for-18 from the field, but he hit a number of big baskets. Late in overtime, he crossed over Avery Bradley and hit a driving bank to make it 107-103 with 24.4 seconds left.
In the first start of his NBA career, rookie Nikola Mirotic hit 2 of 10 shots, but finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
Check back later for much more on this game from Mike McGraw.