Nicola Vucevic, Bulls withstand late Thunder rally, win 111-110

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Nicola Vucevic had 26 points and 15 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls withstood a fierce rally by Oklahoma City to beat the Thunder 111-110 on Monday night.

The Bulls led by 28 points in the third quarter, but the Thunder had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds. Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a 3-pointer that would have evened the score with 2.3 seconds to play.

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The Bulls were short-handed. DeMar DeRozan, who averages 26.3 points per game, rested. Lonzo Ball was out with a bruised left knee and Alex Caruso missed the game with a fractured wrist suffered when Milwaukee’s Grayson Allen yanked him to the ground.

With Ball and Caruso out, the Thunder harassed the Bulls in the fourth quarter.

"Two of our primary ballhandlers in Lonzo and Alex are not here, and when you get into these situations in the fourth quarter where teams turn up the defensive pressure and pick up full court, you’ve got to be able to handle it," Bulls coach Billy Donovan said.

Rookie Ayo Dosunmu scored a season-high 24 points and Zach LaVine added 23 for the Bulls.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) reacts in front of Chicago Bulls forward Javonte Green (24) after missing a basket in the final seconds of the an NBA basketball game Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, in Oklahoma City.  (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Chicago, one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, had lost six of seven and was coming off a 19-point loss to NBA-worst Orlando. LaVine, who had been out since Jan. 14 with a bruised left knee, was happy to provide a spark.

"It felt good," LaVine said. "I got tired of just sitting at