Deng scores 20 and Bulls beat Pacers 87-84
Luol Deng scored 20 points, Carlos Boozer had 18 and the Bulls overcame the absence of starting center Joakim Noah to earn an 87-84 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.
Deng had 13 points at halftime, but Chicago’s reserves sparked the Bulls’ second-half rally, outscoring Indiana’s reserves 32-15. Taj Gibson scored 11, and Daequan Cook and Nate Robinson had nine apiece.
The Bulls went on a 13-5 run starting the fourth quarter to take an 81-72 lead. A four-point play by George Hill brought Indiana within 87-84 in the final minute. After a missed driving shot by Chicago’s Kirk Hinrich with 16 seconds left, the Pacers had a chance to tie, but Paul George had two 3-point tries go off the rim in the final 10 seconds, including one at the final buzzer.
George led the Pacers with 23 points.