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Bulls hand Sixers 24th straight loss

Mar 23, 2014 - 5:52 AM Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Joakim Noah scored 20 points with eight rebounds as Chicago grabbed their second win over Philadelphia this week and extended the 76ers franchise-record losing streak with a 91-81 decision on Saturday.

Jimmy Butler tallied 17 points, while Taj Gibson and D.J. Augustin each scored 16 points for the Bulls, with Gibson also grabbing 10 boards.

Chicago has won four of its last six contests.

"Even though it was against Philly, it was a big game," said Augustine. "We just had it in our mind that we needed this game tonight."

Thaddeus Young scored a game-high 28 points and Henry Sims netted 18 with a career-high 15 rebounds in the setback.

The Sixers had their losing streak extended to 24 games, two shy of the NBA record set by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010-11. They will wrap up their three-game road trip in San Antonio and Houston before heading home to play Detroit with a possible NBA record on the line.

Philadelphia entered the game tied for the second-longest single-season losing skid in NBA history with Vancouver (1995-96), Denver (1997-98) and Charlotte (2011-12).

"We're going to get over the hump," said Young. "We have to figure out ways to make shots at crucial moments of the game and execute, go out there and be ready."

Chicago boasts one of the top defenses in the NBA and stifled the Sixers from 3-point range, holding the visitors to 1-of-20 from beyond the arc in the one.

Philadelphia set a franchise-record for 3-point attempts in Friday's loss to the Knicks, converting 10-of-41 tries from deep.

The Sixers held a 25-20 lead at the end of the first quarter and much like the past half of dozen games over their drought, they played competitively throughout.

A Gibson jumper with 8 1/2 minutes left in the second tied the game at 29-29. Philadelphia pushed its lead back to five, but Chicago ended the quarter on a 10-2 run to take a 41-38 lead into the break.

The Bulls stretched the halftime lead to 65-59 after three.

Byron Mullens hit Philadelphia's first shot from beyond the arc with 9:47 remaining in the fourth to cut the deficit to five, but Kirk Hinrich nailed a 3-pointer with 7 1/2 minutes left to give the hosts a 10-point edge.

The Bulls kept a comfortable distance down the stretch and led by as many as 12 late.

Game Notes

The Bulls improved to 36-10 when scoring 88 or more points ... The 76ers haven't had a victory since beating Boston 95-94 on Jan. 29 ... Philadelphia shot 30-for-87 from the field ... Chicago made 31-of-70 attempts from the floor ... The Sixers outrebounded the Bulls 48-44.