Belinelli's clutch shot lifts Bulls over Jazz
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Marco Belinelli capped a sharp shooting performance by burying the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final seconds, lifting the Chicago Bulls to a 89-88 victory over the Utah Jazz at United Center.
Belinelli scored 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting and kept his foot just behind the arc on his third triple of the night to give the Bulls a one-point edge with 5.9 seconds remaining.
Carlos Boozer also had 22 points in addition to 10 rebounds to help Chicago snap out of a two-game skid. Nate Robinson chipped in with 14 points, seven assists and six boards in the victory.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gordon Hayward appeared to slip prior to taking Utah's final shot, which came up short. Al Jefferson returned after missing three games with a sprained ankle to score 23 points, but the Jazz ultimately dropped their third straight game.
"We're playing hard; that's all we can ask for. Things just aren't bouncing our way," Jefferson said.
Marvin Williams and Derrick Favors each had 10 rebounds and posted double- doubles off the bench in the loss. Williams scored 14 points and Favors had 11.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Joakim Noah's 13th rebound, his last of the game, was the reason Belinelli got a chance to score the deciding basket. With the hosts down by two, he saved the ball from going out of bounds to keep the Bulls' possession alive. Jimmy Butler then dished to the corner, where Belinelli pulled a quick trigger from beyond the arc.
"Joakim got a great rebound and found a way to pass me the ball in the corner," Belinelli said. "It was a big shot for me."
Chicago never trailed in the third period, but allowed Utah to tie the score in the final minute before Belinelli's floater kept the hosts ahead by two, 72-70, going into the fourth.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Jazz fell behind by five early in the final frame, but scored 10 straight points to take an 81-76 edge following four points in a row from Favors.
Belinelli had the Bulls back on top with 5:03 to play when he hit a 3-pointer for an 84-83 advantage, but Jefferson scored Utah's last five points, with his 19-footer staking the Jazz to an 88-86 lead with just under a minute to go.
After holding a three-point lead at the of the first, the Bulls found themselves behind, 37-35, just past the midway point in the second. However, Belinelli's four-point play would give the hosts the lead for the rest of the period and a 12-5 push to close out the stanza gave the Bulls a 55-46 edge at the break.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Game Notes
The Bulls have won five straight against the Jazz ... Four of the last five losses for the Jazz have come by three points or fewer ... In his second game back from a thumb injury which forced him to miss 32 contests, Mo Williams shot just 1-for-7 and scored two points for Utah ... Enes Kanter scored 10 off the bench for the Jazz.