Oklahoma City ties team record for biggest comeback in win over Bulls

Down 26 in the second quarter, the Thunder came back to beat Chicago 109-106, tying the team record for the biggest come-from-behind win.

Buoyed by Chris Paul’s huge fourth quarter, Oklahoma City capped off a historic comeback with a 109-106 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

Down by 26 in the second quarter, the win is the largest come-from-behind victory at home in franchise history. It ties Oklahoma City’s largest comeback overall, matching when the Thunder came from 26 down to beat the Rockets in Houston last February.

Paul hit on all five of his three-point attempts in the fourth quarter, scoring 19 of his team-high 30 points in the final frame.

With the game tied at 106 and 4.3 seconds left on the clock, Steven Adams hit the go-ahead free throw. He missed the second but was able to get the offensive rebound that allowed OKC to keep possession. Paul sank two more free throws to seal the victory.

When asked about what he was feeling in those final moments at the line, Adams was his usual unrestricted self, saying he “absolutely (expletive) his pants” before adding it was “pretty tough”.

Trailing by 26 in the second quarter, the Thunder cut the deficit to 19 at the break, thanks in part to Danilo Gallinari’s 17 first-half points. Oklahoma City outscored the Bulls 33-22 in the third quarter to draw within eight, finishing the quarter on an 8-0 run.

But it was Paul’s fourth three of the quarter that gave OKC a 101-100 lead with 4:10 to play. The Thunder would not trail the rest of the way.

Paul led Oklahoma City with 30 points, while also grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out eight assists.

Three other players were in double digits for the Thunder, Gallinari with 22, Dennis Schroder had 18, and Terrance Ferguson, who returned to the starting lineup for the first time after missing five games with right hip soreness, scored 12.

Zach LaVine led all scorers with 39.