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12/31 20:58 CST Okoro's season-high 24 points lead short-handed Bulls past Pelicans 134-118 Okoro's season-high 24 points lead short-handed Bulls past Pelicans 134-118 By MATT CARLSON Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) --- Isaac Okoro scored a season-high 24 points, Tre Jones added 20 points and 12 assists and the depleted Chicago Bulls topped the New Orleans Pelicans 134-118 on Wednesday night. Matas Buzelis had 19 points, Jalen Smith had 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Nikola Vucevic had 17 points for a Chicago team playing without its top two scorers in Josh Giddey and Coby White, who were injured in a loss to Minnesota on Monday night and are expected to miss several games. All five Chicago starters reached double figures, as did three bench players --- Ayo Dosunmu, Kevin Huerter and Patrick Williams. Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 31 points and Jordan Poole added 26 off the bench in the team's fifth straight loss. The Bulls asserted their up-tempo style, scoring 25 points on the fast breaks, while holding their own with the Pelicans in the paint (60 points to 56). Chicago leveraged New Orleans fouls in an game that often turned physical. Chicago connected on 25 of 34 on free throws for the game after struggling from the stripe in the first half. Chicago led 97-90 entering the fourth quarter, then opened the lead to 17 points. Giddey (left hamstring tightness) will be reevaluated in two weeks and White (right calf tightness) in one, the team said Sunday. The Bulls also said center Zach Collins (sprained right toe) will be reevaluated in 10 days. He missed Monday's game. Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado served the second of a two-game suspension stemming from his fight on Saturday night with Phoenix's Mark Williams. Chicago led 67-62 at the half. Okoro scored 16 points in the opening 24 minutes. Williamson consistently plowed into the paint to score 20 of his, including nine in a row late in the second quarter.

Up next Pelicans: Host Portland on Friday night. Bulls: Host Orlando on Friday night. ___ AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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