CHICAGO (AP) — LaMarcus Aldridge showed off his smooth low-post game in the fourth quarter.
He even threw down an impressive dunk for good measure.
Aldridge scored 11 of his 20 points in the final period, and the San Antonio Spurs held off the Chicago Bulls for a 108-107 victory on Monday night.
“I just got touches,” Aldridge said. “I touched it a little bit more and kind of found my rhythm and once I felt good I was trying to keep going.”
DeMar DeRozan had 21 points for San Antonio, and Patty Mills finished with 17. Bryn Forbes made three of the Spurs’ 10 three-pointers on his way to 13 points.
San Antonio had dropped three of four, including a 135-129 loss at Milwaukee on Saturday. But the Spurs bounced back behind the clutch play of Aldridge and DeRozan.
“I like the fact that DeMar and L.A. got aggressive down the stretch and took over,” coach Gregg Popovich said.
Chicago had two chances to go in front in the final seconds and came up empty each time. Zach LaVine was short on a long three-point try from the top of the key. Ryan Arcidiacono then stole Forbes’ inbounds pass and missed a jumper as time expired.
“It was just a tough way to end the game,” Arcidiacono said.
LaVine scored 11 of his 28 points in the fourth, but the Bulls lost for the seventh time in eight games. Arcidiacono finished with a career-high 22 points, and Jabari Parker had 18 points and 10 rebounds.
LaVine also had eight rebounds, seven assists and six of Chicago’s 11 turnovers. Asked about settling for the long three in the final seconds of a one-point game, LaVine sounded as if he had no regrets.
“If I make it, different result. If I don’t, it’s a bad shot,” he said. “But I don’t care. I think I can make it and I will make it in the future.”
LaVine’s two foul shots gave Chicago a 101-98 lead with 5:58 left, but San Antonio responded with a 10-0 run.
