East Rutherford, NJ (Sports Network) - Devin Harris scored 19 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter and dished out six assists, and the New Jersey Nets used a strong push to notch a 111-99 victory over the Chicago Bulls at the IZOD Center.
Harris didn't have any miracle shots in this game, but his 14-of-23 effort from the field gave the Nets their second straight win after a five-game slide. The point guard hit an unbelievable shot from half-court on Monday night to beat the 76ers at the buzzer.
Bobby Simmons provided 18 points for New Jersey, which went a perfect 25-of-25 from the free throw line for the game and outscored the Bulls, 37-21, in the fourth quarter. Brook Lopez had 13 points, while Vince Carter scored 11 to go with nine rebounds and seven assists.
The win pulls the Nets even with the Bulls in the standings, as both teams currently sit ninth in the Eastern Conference with identical 26-32 records. Both teams are 1 1/2 games behind Milwaukee for the final playoff spot in the conference.
Ben Gordon had a team-high 17 points for Chicago, which is 1-2 with newcomers John Salmons, Brad Miller and Tim Thomas in the lineup. Salmons had 15 points, Miller had 10 and Thomas had 13 with 11 rebounds in the loss for the Bulls.
Kirk Hinrich contributed 14 points, while Luol Deng scored 12 for Chicago.
Down by four to start the fourth, the Nets opened the quarter on a 7-2 run, and Keyon Dooling's two free throws gave the hosts an 81-80 lead 2 1/2 minutes in.
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New Jersey continued to dominate the period, as Harris added seven straight points to put the team ahead by six. Harris had nine points during the 12-0 run that put the Bulls away. The Nets scored 19 of the quarter's first 23 points, and Harris' jumper with 5 1/2 minutes left gave the hosts a 93-82 lead.
Simmons' three-point play moments later kept the margin at 11, and New Jersey led by double-digits the rest of the way.
Gordon's 10 first-quarter points helped give the Bulls a 26-25 lead after the opening period, but the Nets took a 50-49 edge into halftime thanks to Harris' 14 points.
The Nets led by as many as five early in the third, but an 11-2 Chicago run gave the visitors a 65-61 lead, and the Bulls led, 78-74, heading to the fourth.
