NBA Game Summary - Chicago at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC (Basketball News) - Ben Gordon scored 22 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter to lift the Chicago Bulls past the Charlotte Bobcats, 102-99, at Charlotte Coliseum

Gordon, a rookie, has made a name for himself this year as a clutch shooter and scored his team’s last 16 points in this one to add to that reputation.

Othella Harrington and Jannero Pargo each posted 16 points for the Bulls, who matched a season high with their seventh consecutive win. Tyson Chandler also notched a game-high 15 rebounds in the win.

The win allowed Chicago to remain one game behind Washington for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards defeated the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

"I wouldn’t say if it was a lucky win, but it is a great win," said Bulls head coach Scott Skiles. "Ben just got hot down the stretch."

Gerald Wallace netted 23 points for the Bobcats, who have dropped two straight and 13 of their last 16 games.

Brevin Knight dished out 15 assists in the setback, while Emeka Okafor and Primoz Brezec recorded 17 points and 10 boards apiece. Okafor and Gordon, who played at UConn together, are two of the top candidates for this year’s Rookie of the Year Award.

Charlotte led 75-69 after 36 minutes of play, but the fourth quarter belonged to Gordon and the Bulls. The Bobcats’ last lead came with 1:23 remaining when Okafor’s layup made it a 95-93 contest. However, Gordon answered with a jumper at the 1:14 mark and a three-pointer with 43 seconds left to give Chicago a 98-95 advantage.

Jason Hart, who finished with 10 points for the Bobcats, cut the deficit to 98-97 with a layup, but Gordon drilled another trey to make it a four-point game with 21.7 seconds left. Charlotte couldn’t score on its next possession and Gordon hit 1-of-2 foul shots with 3.2 seconds left to seal the win.

"When Ben gets in the zone, he just turns it on. I’ve seen it all before," said Okafor.

The Bobcats held a 12-5 advantage midway through the first quarter, but the Bulls battled back and cut the lead to 25-23 after 12 minutes. The teams battled closely for the lead in the second quarter and the score was knotted at 47-47 at halftime.

Harrington led the Bulls with 10 points at the half and Brezec paced Charlotte with 10.

Charlotte scored 13 consecutive points midway through the third quarter to turn a 56-52 deficit into a 65-56 advantage with 4:58 left. The Bobcats would eventually hold a 75-69 edge at the end of three quarters.