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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
CHICAGO (AP) -- Jason Kidd understood why most fans stayed away
on a bitterly cold and snowy night.
|  | | The Suns' Tony Delk drives around Chicago's Khalid El-Amin in the fourth quarter Monday. |
"They are smart," he said after the Phoenix Suns weathered a
fourth-quarter rally to beat the Chicago Bulls 86-80 Monday night
before a small crowd at the United Center.
"The fans stayed home and watched on TV or listened to the
radio," Kidd said. "But you have to tip your cap to the few who
were here. It was ugly outside."
With a major snowstorm burying the city, the 21,711-seat United
Center was approximately one-quarter full, although official
attendance -- including season tickets already sold -- was announced
at 20,962.
With thousands of empty seats, public address announcer Ray Clay
invited those sitting in the two upper levels to move down into the
lower seats during the first quarter, creating a mass movement of
bodies while the game was in progress.
"My first thought was it was unbelievable that we had
anybody," Bulls coach Tim Floyd said. "We talked about it today
as a staff and we thought there would be about 1,000."
Bulls center Elton Brand said he also was surprised so many fans attended.
"My mother wanted to come tonight and I made her stay home,"
he said.
The Suns threatened to run away with a 19-0 second-half run, but
the Bulls regrouped with a 12-point run of their own before losing
their sixth straight game.
Cliff Robinson had 24 points, Kidd added 12 points and 13
assists, and Rodney Rogers had 17 points and nine assists for
Phoenix.
Ron Mercer had 26 points and Brand added 23 points and 11
rebounds for Chicago.
"In the first half we went out for a Sunday stroll, but we
became the aggressors in the second half and got everybody
involved," Kidd said.
"We played back-to-back and we didn't bring our game from the
beginning like we should have," Rogers said. "Maybe it was
because we were lounging around with the snow and everything."
Kidd posted for a jumper, drove through the middle for a basket
and Robinson hit his fourth 3-pointer just before the buzzer as
Phoenix closed the third quarter with 12 straight points for a
64-57 lead.
Tony Delk hit a basket, Tom Gugliotta dunked and then Delk
swished a 3-pointer to put the Suns up 71-57 early in the fourth,
completing the 19-0 run.
But Mercer hit two jumpers, a free throw and made a breakaway
dunk and Brand had two baskets as the Bulls rallied within 75-73 as
Robinson fouled out with 4:19 left.
Kidd then passed to Rogers and Gugliotta for baskets, and after
Ron Artest missed on a short baseline shot, he hit two free throws
and the Suns held on.
Game notes
The Bulls gave fans who braved the weather the chance to
receive a free ticket to another game by mailing in their stubs.
... The Bulls haven't had a game snowed out since 1979, although a
game in 1986 was postponed because fog prevented the Bulls' plane
from arriving in time. ... The Suns were prepared to stay around
for another night in Chicago, keeping tentative hotel reservations,
but planned after the game to try and fly out. ... The Suns won
consecutive road games for the first time this season and finished
their four-game road trip 3-1.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Phoenix Clubhouse
Chicago Clubhouse
RECAPS
Minnesota 96
Philadelphia 91
Phoenix 86
Chicago 80
San Antonio 91
Utah 83
Houston 82
Vancouver 75
LA Clippers 92
Orlando 80
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