Bulls 102, 76ers 94

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers were in the game Wednesday night, but as it has been the case for nearly two months now, they once again came up on the losing end, dropping their 22nd straight.

Guard/forward Jimmy Butler hit a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 6:49 left and reserves D.J. Augustin and Taj Gibson combined for 12 points thereafter, as the Chicago Bulls pulled out a 102-94 victory over the Sixers (15-53).

Forward Thaddeus Young had 24 points to front the Sixers, who are four defeats away from equaling the NBA record of 26 in a row, established by the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers. Guard Tony Wroten added 17, and guard Michael Carter-Williams finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Philadelphia, which last won on Jan. 29, also dropped its 17th straight at home, two short of the league record held by the 1993-94 Dallas Mavericks.

Augustin, a guard, led Chicago (38-30) with 20 points, while Gibson, a forward, had 19 points and 13 rebounds. Butler finished with 16 points, guard/forward Mike Dunleavy had 15 and center Joakim Noah contributed 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.

Philadelphia, trailing 77-69 early in the fourth quarter, mounted a 16-8 run that including two 3-pointers by backup forward Byron Mullens, and one each by Wroten and Young. Young’s bomb from the left corner with 7:43 remaining knotted the score at 85-85.

Butler then connected from the arc with 6:49 to play, and Augustin did likewise with 5:56 left.

The Sixers were within four after a dunk by Mullens with 1:19 left, at 98-94, but Butler made two free throws with 24.2 seconds left, and Augustin did likewise with 6.5 seconds remaining.

There were six ties and five lead changes in the game’s first 13 minutes, but the Bulls held the Sixers without a single field goal while going on a 13-2 run early in the second quarter, enabling Chicago to take a 41-30 lead with 5:50 left in the half.

Five different Bulls score in the run, with Augustin and fellow reserve guard Tony Snell contributing three points apiece and Butler doing the same.

The Sixers, sparked by Carter-Williams’ five points and some strong play by their bench, cut the gap to 52-45 by halftime.

Carter-Williams and Young each scored 11 points in the first half, while Dunleavy topped Chicago with 13 and Augustin contributed 10.

Young then packed eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, into the first 6:50 of the third quarter, as the Sixers crept within one, at 64-63.

Noah answered with a pair of baskets, and Boozer added a three-point play and a layup in the quarter’s closing minutes, giving the Bulls a 75-69 lead.

NOTES: Sixers coach Brett Brown said before the game that Bulls C Joakim Noah is his example for Philadelphia rookie C Nerlens Noel, who has yet to play as a pro after injuring a knee during his lone season at the University of Kentucky. Brown mentioned in particular how much respect he has for Noah as a competitor. “What a fantastic comparison to show Nerlens,” he said. … Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau broke into the NBA as an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1989-90, when they were a first-year expansion team, and he sees parallels between their situation and the one facing the Sixers. “You’re just looking to make progress,” he said. “Sometimes you’re measuring that: Are we playing up to our potential?” … Sixers G/F James Anderson missed his second consecutive game with a bruised right quadriceps. … Brown was assessed a technical foul with 5:50 left in the second quarter.