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Tuesday, Jan. 9 7:00pm ET
Central leaders struggle past Bulls

RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Worn out, David Wesley wound up a winner.

David Wesley
David Wesley played 55 minutes on Tuesday night and scored 28 points on 9-for-19 shooting.

Wesley scored 28 points and the Charlotte Hornets won the first triple-overtime game in their history, beating the Chicago Bulls 102-95 Tuesday night.

The Hornets rallied from a 19-point deficit in the third quarter to win their 12th consecutive home game.

Wesley, who played 55 minutes, made an 18-foot jumper that gave the Hornets a 100-95 lead with 16.8 seconds to play.

"That was just a sigh of relief," Wesley said. "With all the emotions I'm sure the fans went through, we were going through likewise."

Elden Campbell, who sat out the entire fourth quarter and the first overtime, scored seven of his 18 points in the third overtime for Charlotte. His free throw with 1:54 left tied it at 95 and started a game-ending 8-0 run for the Hornets.

Elton Brand had 30 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls. Ron Mercer added 27 points while playing an NBA season-high 58 minutes.

"I just feel like kicking the ball into the stands after this game," said Brand, whose missed a one-hander in the lane with 4.1 seconds left in regulation. "We had this game. We knew they were going to make a run, but we weren't prepared for it."

The Hornets led 83-80 in the first overtime on Wesley's jumper from the top of the key with 29.1 seconds left, but Fred Hoiberg answered with a driving layup.

After Wesley made one of two free throws with 17.1 seconds remaining, Brand hit a turnaround jumper from the left baseline to tie it at 84 with 8.3 seconds to play.

The Hornets rallied from a 90-86 deficit in the second overtime with baskets from Campbell and Baron Davis. Mercer scored all six of Chicago's points in the period.

The Bulls jumped to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and held it until the fourth. Charlotte rallied with baskets from Lee Nailon and Jamaal Magloire that cut their deficit to 65-56 with 9:13 left in regulation.

The lead dwindled to 68-64 on Magloire's dunk with 4:03 to play. After Mercer hit a jumper to make it 74-68 with 1:47 to play, the Hornets ran off six straight points, tying the game on P.J. Brown's two free throws with 28.1 seconds left.

"We just had to give ourselves a gut-check. We knew in the third quarter that we were going to come back and win this game. We had the desire, and we were hungry," Magloire said.

The Bulls missed a chance to win when Mercer misfired on a 3 in the second overtime.

"We gave ourselves several chances to win and couldn't pull it off," Mercer said. "Things just broke down in the fourth quarter, but our effort was there all night."

Game notes
Charlotte's leading scorer, Jamal Mashburn ,missed his third straight game with a bone bruise to his left knee. He is expected play Thursday against Portland. ... Hornets guard Eldridge Recasner did not play because of a lower back strain. ... Back spasms sidelined Bulls rookie power forward Marcus Fizer.
ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard

Chicago Clubhouse

Charlotte Clubhouse


RECAPS
Charlotte 102
Chicago 95

Houston 110
Toronto 91

Seattle 95
Atlanta 86

Philadelphia 104
New Jersey 87

Milwaukee 99
Washington 95

San Antonio 112
Orlando 95

Utah 103
Indiana 99

Denver 112
Vancouver 105

FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT

Baron Davis Official Site


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