DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 27 points and Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond both had double-doubles to help the host Chicago Bulls defeat the Indiana Pacers 125-99 on Wednesday to stop a three-game losing streak.
Six Bulls scored in double figures compared to five for Indiana, which has lost two of three.
Held under 100 points for the first time this season, the Pacers are two victories ahead of the idle Miami Heat for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Indiana (41-33) has clinched a playoff spot and is aiming to avoid the play-in tournament by staying in the conference’s top six.
Chicago (35-38) stayed at ninth in the East, 1 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta, which occupies the final play-in spot.
Indiana opened the third quarter on a 7-0 run to trim the Chicago advantage to 14 points. The Bulls answered with their first field goal of the quarter on an Alex Caruso trey at the 9:33 mark and then continued to fight off the Pacers, who used a 12-2 run midway through the third to draw within seven.
The Bulls kept responding and led by as many as 29 late in the game.
Andrew Nembhard sparked Indiana with 18 points, while Pascal Siakam had 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Tyrese Haliburton scored 13 points, and Myles Turner and T.J. McConnell chipped in 12 apiece.
Vucevic contributed 22 points and 12 rebounds for Chicago. Drummond had 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Coby White (18 points), Ayo Dosunmu (17) and Caruso (12) also scored in double figures.
A 55.6 percent shooting effort from the floor boosted the Bulls to a 64-43 halftime lead.
Javonte Green helped fuel the Bulls’ defensive tenacity in his first appearance with the team this season. Green, who spent parts of the past three seasons with the Bulls, had been playing for the Golden State Warriors’ G-League affiliate before signing a 10-day contract with the Bulls on Friday.
Chicago held the Pacers to 35 percent shooting before the break.
–Field Level Media