Michael Porter Jr. scored 26 points, including the go-ahead layup with 5.4 seconds remaining, as the host Brooklyn Nets eked out a 112-109 victory over the Chicago Bulls after blowing a 20-point lead Friday night.
After rookie Drake Powell’s 11-footer was blocked by Jalen Smith, Tre Jones sped in for a layup to give the Bulls a 109-108 lead with 11.4 seconds left. Brooklyn used its final timeout, and Porter drove to the rim against Ayo Dosunmu and hit a difficult layup after getting a pass from rookie Nolan Traore.
The Bulls used their final two timeouts and Powell stole an inbounds pass from Jones. After Powell’s steal, Noah Clowney sank two free throws with 2.5 seconds left for a 112-109 lead.
Forced to go the length of the court, Chicago could only get off an off-balance 34-foot heave from Nikola Vucevic that came after the buzzer.
Clowney added 23 and 11 rebounds to help the Nets stop a five-game losing streak and earn their second win over the Bulls this season. Day’Ron Sharpe contributed 14 points, rookie Danny Wolf chipped in 13 and Nic Claxton grabbed a season-best 14 rebounds.
Vucevic led the Bulls with 19 points and Dosunmu contributed 18 off the bench. Coby White contributed 17, Matas Buzelis finished with 15, Smith scored 14 and Jones had 11 as Chicago lost for the fifth time in seven games.
The Nets shot 42.9% and tied a season high with 19 3s. Brooklyn also handed out 30 assists and outrebounded Chicago 47-41.
Chicago shot 47.7% and hit 11 of 35 3s after missing 17 of its first 20 tries.
The Nets held a 92-72 lead on a 3 by Cam Thomas in the opening minutes of the fourth before the Bulls gradually clawed back. Dosunmu’s layup with 4:59 left cut the lead to 98-94 and Vucevic had a 19-footer roll in to get Chicago within 102-100 nearly two minutes later, but Porter and Clowney hit 3s on consecutive trips to give the Nets a six-point lead with 84 seconds left.
Before nearly collapsing and needing Porter’s late basket, the Nets held a 57-40 lead at halftime. They took an 89-72 lead into the fourth after Wolf converted a putback following a blocked shot by Smith.
