The contest between the Portland Trail Blazers and Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night at times more resembled a championship prize fight than a regular season basketball game. The Bulls gave Portland everything they could handle in the early going, jumping out to a 15-point halftime lead before the plucky Blazers picked themselves off the canvas with an inspiring second-half effort to earn the late knockout with a 112-107 victory.
There was a bit of luck involved, as Chicago’s Zach LaVine missed a wide open three-pointer in the closing seconds that would have tied the game.