The Chicago Bulls scored the final 10 points of the game to stage a recovery from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit and defeat the Houston Rockets 105-102 on Saturday, ending the visitors' six-game winning streak. Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 22 points, including a clutch field goal with 32 seconds to play that gave Chicago the edge over their opponents.
Ron Artest powered the Rockets with a season-high 32 points but Houston did not score after his three-points gave them a 102-95 lead with 2.16 to play. The Rockets held a 99-82 advantage with slightly less than six minutes to go but were outscored 23-3 by the Bulls. Chicago reeled off 13 consecutive points to edge within four before Artest hit his three-pointer - Houston's only field goal for the game's last 5:51. The Bulls then went on a 10-0 run to win.
Tyrus Thomas added 19 points for the Bulls. Ben Gordon had 16, John Salmons 12 and Brad Miller 11. Joakim Noah finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Yao Ming backed up Artest with 17 points and Luis Scola had 16 points and 12 rebounds. Elsewhere, Dwyane Wade put on a one-man show as the Miami Heat posted a 120-115 comeback victory over the New York Knicks. Wade tied his own franchise record for points in a quarter, pouring in 24 of his 46 points in the final period, and added 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Heat, who outscored the Knicks, 37-17 in the final minutes to steal the win.
He shot 16-of-29 from the field and 12-of-12 from the line for Miami, who trailed by 15 points after three quarters. The Orlando Magic looked well on their way to another disappointing loss with eight minutes to play until they came storming back and clung to a slim lead on their way to a 106-100 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers held a 10-point lead with just over eight minutes on the fourth-quarter clock, as the Magic - who came in winners of just seven of their last 13 games - struggled once again to find any offensive continuity.
The Utah Jazz rolled past the Sacramento Kings, 102-89 for their seventh straight victory on the day of the funeral of Larry H Miller, the owner who passed away last Friday due to complications from type 2 diabetes. The Milwaukee Bucks eased to a 109-93 victory over the Washington Wizards to keep in the hunt for the final post-season berth in the Eastern conference, while the Memphis Grizzlies extended their run of games without a win to seven after going down 99-92 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Finally, the Charlotte Bobcats secured their third consecutive victory on the road with a 100-95 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. * Agencies