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Augustin helps Charlotte down Chicago

Jan 13, 2011 - 6:51 AM Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - D.J. Augustin scored 22 points with 12 assists and made four straight free throws down the stretch to help the Charlotte Bobcats hold on for a 96-91 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Stephen Jackson added 16 points, the last two coming on a key turnaround jumper in the final minute, and the Bobcats won their fourth straight game to improve to 6-2 under new head coach Paul Silas.

Charlotte was able to rally after squandering a 17-point advantage and letting the Bulls take the lead after three quarters.

"We really hung tough," said Silas. "I'm so proud of these guys because they easily could have given up, but they didn't. They hung in and got the win."

Carlos Boozer led Chicago with 23 points and 14 rebounds, Luol Deng scored 22 and Derrick Rose had 17.

The Bulls saw their two-game overall winning streak snapped while suffering their season-worst third straight road loss. But they mounted a spirited comeback, erasing a 13-point deficit in the third quarter to take their first lead of the game on Deng's layup with 1:04 left.

Chicago carried a 70-69 edge into the fourth and was ahead by as many as five points, but couldn't hang on.

The Bobcats took the lead for good when Tyrus Thomas scored on an athletic move in the paint, going under the basket and flipping the ball in to make it 90-89 with 1:14 remaining.

Jackson buried his turnaround with 34.8 seconds left, giving Charlotte a three-point lead. Rose then turned the ball over in the paint and Augustin hit two free throws to make it 94-89.

Thomas scored 17 points with 13 rebounds coming off the bench, but he also handed Chicago its final bucket when he was whistled for goaltending on a Boozer miss in the lane, cutting the lead to three.

It didn't matter. Augustin hit two more foul shots and Deng missed a three- pointer to seal the Charlotte win.

"This is a top team in the Eastern Conference and it's good to get a win against that kind of team," said Jackson.

Bobcats chairman and all-time Bulls great Michael Jordan congratulated his players as they walked off the floor -- including Gerald Wallace, who returned to score 14 points after missing four straight games and nine of the last 11 with an ankle injury.

The Bobcats had control early on, going ahead by as many as 16 points late in the first quarter on the way to a 36-22 advantage at the buzzer. Wallace had a three-pointer midway through the second quarter that stalled a 6-0 Bulls run and gave the Bobcats a 43-29 lead.

Chicago cut its deficit to seven points twice before halftime, but never got closer. Deng was whistled for a flagrant foul after dragging down Thomas from behind on a fast break. Thomas dried his bloody nose, then made one of his two free throws to give Charlotte a 55-42 lead at halftime.

"We can't be one of those teams that has slow starts and rely on ourselves to come back," said Boozer. "We gotta be a team that [starts fast]. It's something we have to clean up."

Game Notes

Charlotte won despite being outshot 47 percent to 43...The Bobcats improved to just 6-10 in the last 16 meetings in this series...Silas took over after Larry Brown resigned December 22.