Chicago ? Ben Gordon’s still making the difficult adjustment from college star to the NBA, but Saturday night he showed why the Chicago Bulls made him a first-round choice.
Gordon scored a career-high 31 points, rescuing the Bulls from a furious Minnesota rally with 16 in the fourth quarter, as Chicago nearly blew a 24-point lead before beating the Timberwolves 99-88.
“I kind of got hot right away. I felt like I was back at UConn or something,” Gordon said
Gordon was 13-of-24 from the field, including 7-of-9 in the final period, and had made all four of his 3-pointers. He’s coming off the bench right now and his rate Saturday night was a point a minute – 31 points in 31 minutes.
“In the beginning of the year, I kinda had to feel my way out. I’m starting to come along. I still have a lot of learning to do and there are things I can get better at,” Gordon added.
“I just figured there were some growing pains. Every level of basketball I played, I always struggled at the beginning until I figured it out. I’m just starting to get a little more comfortable.”
Minnesota trailed by 24 in the second quarter and rallied within one in the final period but couldn’t get the lead because Gordon scored 10 straight points for the Bulls at one juncture, hitting a pair of 3-pointers.
Gordon’s final basket of the game came with the Bulls comfortably ahead in the closing seconds. He started to dribble out the clock, but then shot it just before the buzzer.
“I saw the basket and my eyes lit up,” Gordon said.
Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett was impressed with Gordon’s game, but not the final shot.
“That was bull,” said Garnett, who had 16 points – matching his season low – and 21 rebounds.
“If he was going to the basket it would have been different. … Gordon just came out and had a monster game. It’s our first time seeing the young fellow play or at least playing against him. He had a good game.”
Kirk Hinrich added 19 points for the Bulls (4-14), who had lost 10 straight to Minnesota and not beaten the Timberwolves since the days of Michael Jordan on April 3, 1998.
Tyson Chandler added 10 points and 16 rebounds for Chicago.
Sam Cassell scored 17 points, but Minnesota shot just 36 percent. The Timberwolves were trying for their second come-from-behind win in two nights after rallying from 13 back to beat Sacramento on Friday night.
This time they couldn’t make it all the way back.
“We didn’t deserve to win this game, plain and simple,” Cassell said. “We came out lackadaiscal. They made shots when they were supposed to make shots and Ben Godon had the game of his life.”
The Bulls led 59-41 at the half, matching their highest scoring half of the season, and appeared on the way to an easy win for once. Earlier this season they blew a 24-point lead before losing to the Clippers.
But Cassell had seven straight points in the third quarter, and the Timberwolves outscored Chicago 25-14 to trail 73-66 entering the fourth.
Then Hudson and Fred Hoiberg hit 3-pointers early in the fourth and the Timberwolves were within 75-74 with just over 10 minutes to go.
Andres Nocioni’s basket and Gordon’s third 3-pointer of the night gave Chicago a six-point cushion. Garnett responded with a jumper but Gordon again sank a jumper, got free for another 3-pointer and then hit again to make it 87-76.
Eddie Griffin’s back-to-back 3-pointers got the Timberwolves within five, but Gordon threw up a left-handed floater in the lane and the Bulls had the win.
Gordon scored 10 points in the final two minutes of the first quarter as the Bulls took a 33-19 lead.
Gordon had another 3-pointer and the Bulls used an 11-4 run starting the second quarter to take a 44-23 lead.
The Bulls shot 54 percent and Gordon had 15 points by the half.
Notes: Minnesota coach Flip Saunders was denied his 400th victory. … Hinrich had 12 assists.a
