Chicago scored 69 points in the second half, but a 20-point deficit was too much to overcome.
The Bulls suffered another heartbreak on Friday, this time against the lowly Brooklyn Nets. Chicago erased a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter, but gave up a game-winning layup to Michael Porter Jr. as the Nets beat the Bulls, 112-109.
Porter Jr. scored a game-high 26 points on five three-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds. Nets forward Noah Clowney had a double-double with 23 points and 11 boards. Brooklyn went 19-of-40 from deep, shooting at a 47.5% clip.
Nikola Vucevic led the way for the Bulls with 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting, six rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Ayo Dosunmu (18 points), Coby White (17) and Matas Buzelis (15) posted solid stat lines as well.
The loss — Chicago's second to Brooklyn in as many matchups this season — drops the Bulls to 19-22 on the year.
Brooklyn's three-point shooting was a problem for the Bulls from the jump. Six different Nets connected from deep in the opening quarter, resulting in a four-point difference through one.
With 4:49 remaining in the first half, Tre Jones made a fastbreak layup to cut Chicago's deficit to 42-38. That shot ended up being the Bulls' final made field goal of the second quarter.
The Nets subsequently scored 15 consecutive points to open up a 19-point lead, as there was seemingly a lid on the Bulls' basket. Buzelis smoked an uncontested fastbreak dunk in a perfect encapsulation of the ice-cold stretch, and he finally put an end to the scoring drought with a pair of free throws just before the break.
Chicago shot an abysmal 25% in the second period, including just 1-of-11 from beyond the arc. Buzelis' shots at the charity stripe made it a 57-40 game.
The Bulls nearly matched their first-half total in the third quarter alone, scoring 32 points on 54.5% shooting, but they also couldn't stop the Nets' offense. Clowney hit two of Brooklyn's five triples as the Nets maintained their 17-point advantage.
After a Cam Thomas three-pointer pushed the lead to 20, the Bulls rattled off an 11-0 run that made it a single-digit game. Buzelis' defense and Dosunmu's speed in transition fueled Chicago's comeback over the final minutes, and Isaac Okoro made a layup to pull the Bulls within two.
With 1:48 remaining, Porter Jr. appeared to hit the dagger with a side-step three. White quickly responded with a fastbreak bucket, but Clowney's fourth triple of the game pushed the Nets' lead back out to six.
The Bulls then notched seven consecutive points, jumping in front for the first time since the score was 5-3. Jalen Smith started the streak with a corner three, then Okoro and Tre Jones ran in transition to take the lead with a basket apiece.
Porter Jr. ended up with the game-winner, making the score 110-109 in favor of Brooklyn. The 6-foot-10 wing drove on White, decelerating for a layup through contact with 5.4 seconds remaining. Chicago failed to inbound the ball, and after Clowney went 2-of-2 at the line, Vucevic's half-court prayer did not find nylon.
The Bulls won't have to wait long to get their revenge on the Nets, who will face off in a rematch at the United Center on Sunday.