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Gordon, Bulls rally back to edge Williams, Jazz

Oct 18, 2008 - 3:44 AM CHAMPAIGN, Illinois (Ticker) -- The Chicago Bulls spoiled Deron Williams' return to Assembly Hall on Friday night, staging a late rally to earn their first victory of the preseason, 108-105, over the Utah Jazz.

The game, played in the 16,618-seat arena at the University of Illinois, was a homecoming for Williams. The star point guard led the Illini to the national championship game in 2005 to cap a stellar three-year collegiate career before being drafted third overall by the Utah Jazz.

His return to campus produced solid individual returns - 14 points and nine assists - but Ben Gordon and the Bulls proved too much with a fourth-quarter surge.

Gordon, making his preseason debut after missing the first three games with a sore right big toe, helped Chicago erase an 11-point deficit in the final quarter. He scored 13 of his 23 points in the period, including two pivotal 3-pointers.

With 1:39 left to play and the Bulls down by two, Gordon drove down the lane - exploding past Utah guard Ronnie Price - dropped in a layup high off the glass and drew the foul. He drained the foul shot to give Chicago a 104-103 edge.

That one-point deficit was as close as the Jazz got the rest of the way. After Gordon buried two free throws with 10 seconds left to make it a three-point game, Kyle Korver's 3-point attempt at the buzzer clanked off the back of the rim to seal the win for the Bulls.

Utah, which led almost for the duration of the game, self-destructed down the stretch - primarily when Williams and the rest of the first team left the floor. The Jazz went just 5-of-18 from the field in the fourth quarter.

Williams, playing his first game here as a member of the Jazz since leaving Illinois, had no trouble finding his targets. Carlos Boozer scored 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting and fellow All-Star Mehmet Okur added 17 on 8-of-11. Williams did not commit a turnover in 25 minutes on the floor.

Andres Nocioni scored 20 points off the bench for the Bulls, as he and Gordon combined to shoot 8-of-16 from the arc. Third-year forward Tyrus Thomas registered a double-double with 16 points and 12 boards.