Nov 10, 2009 10:26 pm US/Central
Ref Overturns Buzzer Beater, Bulls Lose To Denver
Chauncey Billups' Free-Throw Lifts Nuggets Over Bulls 90-89
CHICAGO (AP) ―
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Brad Miller #52 of the Chicago Bulls shoots a last second shot which was later reversed against the Denver Nuggets on November 10, 2009 at the United Center.
Gary Dineen/NBAE/Getty Images
The Bulls suffered their first home loss of the season Tuesday night against the Denver Nuggets, after a potential winning jumper by Brad Miller was overturned following a replay review.
Instead, the Nuggets' Chauncey Billups hit the go-ahead free throw with six-tenths of a second left and the Nuggets beat the Bulls 90-89.
Billups was fouled by Kirk Hinrich on a drive and then intentionally missed the second free throw after making the first to break the tie. Joakim Noah grabbed the rebound, and the Bulls nearly pulled it off.
After a timeout, Miller caught the inbounds pass from Hinrich and, in one motion, buried a jumper from the top of the key. The crowd went wild. So did the Bulls, but it didn't last.
After a lengthy review, the officials ruled time had expired, and the Nuggets snapped a two-game losing streak.
"Those things -- they happen so fast like that, I mean, .3," said Bulls coach Vinny del Negro. "You need the TV camera to take a look at it, and you want to get the call right. I'll have to see if the call is right. But that's what they decided. It's out of your hands, and you move forward."
The win was the 939th for coach George Karl, who passed Red Auberbach and is eighth on the NBA's all-time list.
Carmelo Anthony scored a season-low 20 points for Denver, while Billups added 17, and Kenyon Martin had 15 points and 10 rebounds after missing a game with a bruised left fibula.
Derrick Rose led Chicago with 22 points, while Luol Deng scored 21, and Joakim Noah had a career-high 21 rebounds for the Bulls, who had won three straight.
Both teams struggled from the outside, with the Bulls hitting 4 of 18 3-pointers and the Nuggets 5 of 16.
There was never really a big run in the game.
It was at 87-83 after Anthony tracked down a loose ball following a broken play by the Bulls and Martin dunked with 1:56 left.
Hinrich buried a jumper to make it a two-point game and then picked up a loose ball after a missed 3 by John Salmons, keeping the possession alive. After Noah missed a layup, Rose converted to tie it at 87 with 33 seconds left, and he answered Anthony's jumper with two free throws with 10.4 seconds left, setting up the wild finish.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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