DPA/Los Angeles
Red-hot Russell Westbrook filled up the stat sheet with another sparkling one-man show but E’Twaun Moore stole his thunder.
Moore buried the go-ahead three-pointer with 2.1 seconds remaining Thursday, sending the Chicago Bulls to a thrilling 108-105 come-from-behind victory over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder.
Westbrook had an eye-popping 43 points, seven assists and eight rebounds, but fell short of his fifth consecutive triple-double.
“My job is not to get triple-doubles, it’s to come out and help us win games regardless of what it takes,” said Westbrook, who set a franchise mark with three consecutive 40-plus games. “And, that’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
Moore finished with 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting off the bench and also had the unenviable task of defending the mercurial Westbrook.
“He has been on a triple-double streak, so I just tried to slow him down and tried to be tough.” Moore explained. “I know he wanted another triple-double but we needed the victory.”
Serbian rookie Nikola Mirotic scored 26 points, Spaniard Pau Gasol had 21 with 12 rebounds while Mike Dunleavy also netted 21 for short-handed Chicago (39-23) which rallied from 16 down for its third win in the last four games.
The resilient Bulls were again without starters Derrick Rose (knee surgery), Jimmy Butler (elbow sprain) and top reserve Taj Gibson (ankle sprain).
“We needed everybody,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.
“You don’t replace Derrick, Jimmy and Taj Gibson individually, we have to do it collectively.”
The Bulls trailed by nine with just over five minutes remaining but chipped away and drew to within 105-104 on two Mirotic free throws with 28.9 remaining.
Westbrook then fired up an air-ball as the shot clock expired, setting the stage for Moore’s heroics.
Following a timeout, Gasol received an entry pass on the left block as Westbrook went over to help. The Bulls forward immediately sent a touch pass over to Moore for the wide-open corner triple.
“The play was designed to get the ball to Pau in the post,” Moore said. “But he just made a great basketball play and I knocked it down.”
The Thunder set up a final play but Westbrook stepped on the sideline after taking the inbound pass sealing the outcome.
“It was a great game. When you have two competitive teams, both teams are shorthanded, both teams are going to compete, there has to be a losing team,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “It’s unfortunate we lost this game.”
Serge Ibaka scored 25 points but Oklahoma City (34-28) - again without reigning league MVP Kevin Durant (sore foot) - fell for the just the third time in the last 12 games.
Despite the loss, Brooks continued to praise Westbrook.
“Russell is an amazing player. He’s on a hot streak, but our team is playing well,” he said. “That’s what he’s about. He’s not happy that he scored a bunch of points and had a bunch of rebounds and assists and we lost the game.
“Russell is about winning. He’s about winning only.”
MAVERICKS BEAT BLAZERS
Portland Trail Blazers 94, Dallas Mavericks 74: LaMarcus Aldridge had 17 points and 12 rebounds, Frenchman Nicolas Batum netted 15 with a season-best 12 boards, carrying the Trail Blazers (41-19) past the visiting Mavericks.
The Blazers’ fifth straight win victory proved to be costly after learning that starting guard Wesley Matthews suffered a season-ending left Achilles tear.
Matthews, averaging 16 points per game, dropped to the floor while cutting up court with the ball early in the third quarter, and had to be helped off by teammates.
“I can’t believe I’m out while my team-mates are fighting,” Matthews said. “I felt the initial pop. It felt like someone kicked me. I was praying someone was back there but no one was there. I heard the ref say ‘oh no’ and I knew.”
Monta Ellis and Amar’e Stoudemire netted 12 apiece for Dallas (40-23), which was held to its lowest output of the season in the opener of three-game road trip.
E’Twaun Moore (left) of the Chicago Bulls gets a hug from teammate Pau Gasol after hitting the game-winning three point shot against the Oklahoma City
