2015 NBA scores: The Bulls have a fourth-quarter problem

The Suns shocking the Bulls, the inconsistent Wizards and everything else from Monday in the NBA.

Dec 8, 2015, 1:00 PM UTC

Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

Mirza Teletovic wasn't supposed to be the hero. Averaging only 7.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 16.9 minutes per game for the Phoenix Suns this season, the 30-year-old rarely finds himself on the court in crunch time. But with 18 points against the Chicago Bulls, he was in the lineup for the Suns' final possession. And he took advantage, soaring over Derrick Rose for an offensive rebound before nailing a stumbling fadeaway with 0.3 seconds left to give the Suns a stunning 103-101 win.

Teletovic's bucket capped a 16-point comeback for the Suns, who outscored the Bulls, 42-24, in the fourth quarter. Brandon Knight led the team with 21 points and Teletovic ended the night with 20 points and four rebounds.

Pau Gasol had 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to lead the Bulls, who squandered a fourth-quarter lead for the second consecutive game. It's a troubling trend for the Bulls, who have struggled in the fourth quarter this season.

The Bulls are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA -- their defensive rating (points given up per 100 possessions) is 97.1, fourth best in the league. In the fourth quarter, however, that number jumps to 102.9. It’s a smaller sample size but it’s still alarming. In fact, the Bulls are the 17th in fourth-quarter defense.

That sloppy defense was on full display against the Suns.

After an evenly played first half, the Bulls dominated the third quarter thanks to the stars. Gasol, Rose and Jimmy Butler each poured in points as the Bulls built up a 16-point lead heading into the fourth. That's when things fell apart.

The Suns pulled to within 10 by the 10-minute mark and had pulled to within two with less than five minutes to play. It wasn’t some surprise offense that made the difference for the Suns. They were hitting open shots -- 57.7 percent from the field in the fourth quarter -- and forcing turnovers defensively. The Bulls turned the ball over eight times in the final 12 minutes, forcing their defense to make plays in transition while struggling to get into a groove offensively.

The Bulls did still have hope for a moment, though. Butler made a three with 1:51 to play to give them a five-point lead, but it would be their last bucket. The Suns responded with a Devin Booker three and an Eric Bledsoe layup before the teams traded misses and turnovers in the final 90 seconds.

As the clock dwindled down to zero, Teletovic saved the day.

Even on this broken play, the Bulls’ defense was in shambles. Knight drove to the basket with ease and found a wide-open Jon Leuer for a corner three. The Bulls can’t complain that Teletovic’s shot was lucky, he shouldn’t have even needed to grab a rebound -- Leuer should have made the shot.

The Bulls don't need to panic yet. There is still plenty of time to figure out and clamp down on defense, but it's something to watch with this team. They blew a lead against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, and now with a meltdown against the Suns, there is reason to be worried in Chicago.

3 other things we learned

The Washington Wizards are good, but so inconsistent

John Wall is playing well again. He had 26 points and seven assists to lead the Wizards to a 114-103 win over the Miami Heat. It's too bad his team is struggling to find its identity. The Wizards outplayed the Heat -- who had the best record in the East heading into the game -- a night after getting handled by the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat played well at times in this one. They shot 60.5 percent from the field in the first half, but the Wizards were able to clamp down on them in the fourth quarter despite a vintage performance from Dwyane Wade, who had 26 points. That wasn't enough to overcome three turnovers in the final two minutes of the game as the Wizards pulled away. This Wizards team is confusing. They have beaten the Spurs, Cavaliers and Heat, but they've also lost to the Lakers. It's hard to put a finger on just how good the Wizards are, but one thing is for certain: you don't want to face them when they're on.

The Charlotte Hornets are one of the best teams in the East right now

The Detroit Pistons and the Hornets have been two of the bigger early-season surprises, both placing themselves right in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. But on Monday, the Hornets showed they're a more serious threat with a 104-84 win over Detroit. Cody Zeller led the Hornets with 20 points and six rebounds while getting Andre Drummond into foul trouble and Nicolas Batum, who has been the difference maker for the Hornets this season, added 13 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. The Hornets didn't even play their best game against Detroit -- they were only 8-of-26 from three. But they outrebounded the Pistons by 16, a number Detroit's not used to seeing with Drummond on the court. This Hornets teams wins in different ways. They can outshoot you or they can grind it out. At 12-8, they're right in the thick of the race in the East.

The Philadelphia 76ers are worse than we thought

The 76ers lost by 51 to the San Antonio Spurs. That’s not a typo. It was 119-68 and it was maybe even worse than that.

That's Boban Marjanovic toying with Jahlil Okafor like he's a little kid. While the Golden State Warriors' undefeated season is rightfully getting most of the attention in the NBA this season, the Spurs are doing what they've done for what seems like 30 years: winning basketball games. It was no surprise that the Spurs climbed to 18-4, but it was a surprise that they won by 51 -- especially with Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili sitting this one out. Trust the process, Spurs fans. Coaches knew what they were doing sitting those three.

Play of the night

The Minnesota Timberwolves didn't beat the Los Angeles Clippers. But for a moment, Kevin Garnett turned back the clock with a monstrous dunk on Blake Griffin. Garnett was his usual self, almost immediately being whistled for a tech after the play.

(Also: be sure to watch for Paul Pierce’s reaction. It’s great.)