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CHICAGO (AP) _ Ron Mercer hit the go-ahead jumper with 48 seconds left in overtime Monday night and the Orlando Magic survived two last-second misses to beat the Chicago Bulls 88-86 and end a three-game losing streak.

The Bulls had a chance tie in the closing seconds, but Chris Carr's short shot from the right side was off and Elton Brand missed a short follow as Chicago lost for the 15th time in 16 games.

Mercer, who had two turnovers, missed four shots and had a layup blocked in the fourth quarter, sank a short jumper from the baseline to make it 86-84 in overtime.

After a turnover on Chicago's B.J. Armstrong with 27 seconds to go, the Bulls fouled Darrell Armstrong and he hit a pair with 12 seconds to go to make it 88-84.

Carr scored from inside with 7.4 seconds to go to cut it to two. The Bulls immediately fouled Anthony Johnson, who missed both from the line with seven seconds to go, giving the Bulls a last chance they couldn't convert.

Chicago lost in double overtime last Friday at home to Golden State.

Darrell Armstrong finished with 20 points and Mercer 19 for Orlando, which had beaten Chicago by 36 earlier this month. The Magic entered the game tied with Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

Brand had 18 points and 15 rebounds and Chris Antsey a career-high 16 rebounds for Chicago.

The Magic went up 84-81 in overtime on John Amaechi's basket. The Bulls then shot back-to-back airballs before Armstrong hit a 3-pointer to tie with 1:06 left.

Hersey Hawkins blocked Mercer's layup attempt with 38 seconds left in regulation and then gave the Bulls an 81-79 lead with 5.8 seconds remaining when he went inside Mercer and tipped in a basket.

But Darrell Armstrong drove through the lane and was fouled on his left-handed layup attempt by Brand with two seconds to go. Armstrong made both free throws and after the Bulls couldn't get off a final shot, the game headed to overtime.

The Magic led by 14 in the second half and by 16 in the first.

Notes: Bulls guard Fred Hoiberg, who got a concussion last Friday, missed his second straight game. .... Randy Brown played just five minutes after bruising his hand. ... Magic rookie Corey Maggette, a native of suburban Bellwood, Ill., said he has no regrets about leaving Duke after his freshman year. Maggette's minutes had been reduced greatly in the previous three games when he logged just 12 minutes. He played 26 Monday night, scoring 13 points. ...The Bulls will get an arbitrator's ruling Tuesday on whether John Starks can forfeit the rest of his salary and leave the team. Starks, on the injured list with sore knees and at home in Tulsa, Okla., has missed 13 straight games.