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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
CHICAGO (AP) -- The memory of Bobby Phills had to be in David Wesley's thoughts and heart Friday night. Wesley wasn't ready, however, to share what he was feeling on the one-year anniversary of the death of his friend and teammate.
|  | | David Wesley could finally celebrate after the game-winning 3-pointer capped the Hornets' emotional day. |
Instead, Wesley expressed himself with his play in the fourth quarter. He hit a 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left to give the Charlotte Hornets an 86-85 win over the Chicago Bulls.
"I don't think anything got into me in the fourth quarter. We needed baskets," Wesley said, refusing to discuss Phills. "I took a shot at it like I've done the last couple of games. Even though I haven't shot it particularly well. I'm always thinking the next one's going in."
Chicago's Elton Brand missed a jumper right before the buzzer and the Hornets had their second pulsating victory over the Bulls
this week. They beat Chicago in triple overtime Tuesday.
Wesley scored 10 of his 11 points in the final quarter. Trailing
85-83, the Hornets rebounded a miss by Brand and called a timeout
with 9.5 seconds to go.
Baron Davis dribbled to the key, passed to Wesley and then set a screen for him. Wesley hit the shot as he was falling down, and pointed his fingers skyward after it went in.
"I was trying to catch my balance and make sure they weren't taking the ball out," Wesley said. "And I was just enjoying it a bit more."
Phills was killed Jan. 12, 2000, in a car crash after he left the Charlotte Hornets' morning shootaround. Phills was speeding from the Charlotte Coliseum when he lost control of his Porsche, slid into oncoming traffic and was killed instantly. The game that night against the Bulls was postponed.
Police said Wesley was racing Phills at the time of the accident.
Hornets coach Paul Silas didn't want to talk about Phills,
either, or how Wesley played such inspired basketball at the end.
"We want to move on. That's the way Bobby would have wanted it," Silas said.
"I just wanted David to take it and make it. We were going to
win it or lose it. I told Baron to dribble, hand off, come off,
give it to David and he's going to shoot the 3 and let's get out of
here. There was no symbolism to it."
Wesley, who managed just seven points on 3-of-20 shooting in a loss to Portland on Thursday, was 0-for-4 with just one point heading into the fourth quarter against Chicago.
He managed his first basket on a driving layup and then hit a
3-pointer with three minutes left that brought the Hornets to
81-77. His two free throws made it a three-point game and Lee
Nailon's follow got Charlotte within two.
Davis' two free throws with 1:21 left tied the game.
Ron Artest sailed through the lane for a left-handed dunk with a minute left to give the Bulls an 85-83 lead.
But Chicago, which blew a 19-point lead Tuesday, couldn't hold
on. Brand said the Hornets had to be thinking of Phills.
"It's the anniversary. I'm sure they wanted to get a win. It's a sad thing. I'm sure they tried to step their game up," he said.
The Bulls took a 10-point lead early in the fourth when
ex-Hornets player Brad Miller took a long inbounds pass and heaved
in a 3-pointer as the shot clock buzzer went off.
Davis led the Hornets with 21 points. Ron Mercer had 21 for the Bulls.
Game notes
Jamal Mashburn missed his fifth straight game with a bone
bruise on his left knee. ... Wesley started his franchise-record
241st straight game. ... Miller had a season-high 16 points.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Charlotte Clubhouse
Chicago Clubhouse
Phills remembered in Charlotte ceremony
Aldridge: His friend gone, Wesley still coming back
May: A year later, Phills' widow remembers
RECAPS
Philadelphia 86
Washington 82
Toronto 93
Boston 72
San Antonio 111
Detroit 90
Minnesota 95
LA Clippers 89
Charlotte 86
Chicago 85
Denver 106
Sacramento 93
Seattle 115
Vancouver 102
LA Lakers 101
Cleveland 98
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Baron Davis Official Site
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