 MILWAUKEE (AP) - Luol Deng scored 32 points on 15-of-20 shooting and Ben Gordon added 29 points as the Chicago Bulls fell just short of a franchise record for points and shooting percentage with a 151-135 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night.
The Bulls also got 22 points and 15 assists from Chris Duhon, and three other players finished in double digits as Chicago fell four points short of the franchise regulation record set in 1990.
The Bulls shot 67 percent from the field, just off a franchise high set in 1981, but the highest ever allowed by the Bucks.
Milwaukee, which lost its seventh straight, showed just how little it has improved. The defense has declined under coaches Terry Stotts and Larry Krystkowiak, marking a new low in front of general manager John Hammond, who was hired on Friday.
The lone bright spot for the Bucks was rookie Ramon Sessions, who set a franchise record with 24 assists, three more than Guy Rodgers had in Milwaukee's sixth game as a franchise on Oct. 31, 1968 against Detroit. Sessions also scored 20 points — the first 20-20 with points and assists in franchise history.
Andrew Bogut scored 25 points, while Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva each had 22 points. Villanueva scored 18 of his points in the first quarter as the Bucks took an early 12-point lead.
Milwaukee, which lost for the 12th time after leading by double digits, gave up 42 points in the second quarter as Chicago took an 81-71 halftime lead. That was 13 more points than the Bulls scored in a half this season and 14 more than they scored in a game in a loss at Minnesota on Jan. 30.
The Bulls kept extending the lead, hitting the century mark with 6:52 to go in the third quarter off Tyrus Thomas' jumper, and holding a 120-101 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Notes:@ The Bucks allowed Buffalo to shoot 66.7 percent on Feb. 19, 1974. ... Rodgers also had the most assists in Bulls franchise history with 24, set Dec. 21, 1966. ... It was Deng's ninth career game with 30 points or more. ... Bucks G Mo Williams (groin) missed the game. |