Mar 3, 2006 3 min read

CHICAGO (AP) – Ronald Murray made a 3-pointer from the right side with 3.9 seconds remaining, and the Cleveland Cavaliers escaped with a 92-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night after blowing a 25-point lead. Murray, acquired from Seattle at the trade deadline, scored 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers snapped a five-game losing streak.

The winning shot came after Kirk Hinrich’s free throw gave the Bulls a 91-89 lead with 11.6 seconds left. The Bulls had one final shot to win it, but Andres Nocioni missed a jumper at the buzzer.

Down 10, the Bulls scored 11 straight points midway through the fourth quarter, tying it at 81 on Hinrich’s 3-pointer and taking a one-point lead on Ben Gordon’s free throw with 3:01 left.

LeBron James, who averaged 34.5 points in the first two games against the Bulls, scored 33 – none in the final 7:40. He had 19 at halftime, matching his total the previous night in a loss to Sacramento.

With forward Drew Gooden out with flu-like symptoms, second-year pro Anderson Varejao got the first start of his career and responded with 13 points and six rebounds. But he missed two free throws with 18 seconds left and the Cavaliers down 88-87.

Eric Snow added 14 points and eight assists.

Hinrich had 25 points and nine rebounds, two nights after he had 30 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in a 111-100 victory over Minnesota.

Luol Deng finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Gordon scored 16.

Down 75-60, the Bulls started the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run to make it 77-71.

With the score 81-71, Nocioni’s basket started the 11-point run that gave the Bulls their first lead of the game. Murray stopped it with two foul shots, and the lead went back and forth.

Gordon’s floater gave the Bulls an 88-87 lead with 39 seconds left and he hit two free throws to make it a three-point game with 16 remaining. After Murray scored on a drive, the Cavaliers fouled Hinrich with 11.6 seconds left.

Bulls forward Malik Allen was back in the starting lineup after being taken to a hospital with a sprained neck during the Minnesota game and scored four points in 17 minutes. And Chris Duhon played 17 minutes after leaving that game with a bruised jaw.

Allen said doctors told him he would probably miss a game, but he felt fine after he warmed up during the morning shootaround.

His range of motion is “a ton better” than it was on Wednesday.

Allen injured his neck when he rotated to defend the Timberwolves’ Rashad McCants on a drive to the basket early in the second quarter. As he fell backward, his head hit teammate Darius Songaila’s leg. Allen was immobilized and carted off on a stretcher.

A few minutes later, Duhon took a shot to the face when he tried to take a charge against Minnesota’s Justin Reed and was done for the night. Duhon was already sore after taking an elbow to the jaw from Gordon in practice on Monday.