NBA ROUNDUP Thursday's game

Bulls 96, Mavericks 85
CHICAGO -- Ben Gordon scored 30 points, Luol Deng added 21 and the Chicago Bulls snapped the Dallas Mavericks' eight-game winning streak. Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 28 points and 11 rebounds. The Mavericks lost for just the second time in 23 games. After nearly blowing an early 17-point lead, the Bulls pulled away late in the fourth quarter. Nowitzki's 3 closed Chicago's lead to 79-76 with 4:31 left. P.J. Brown followed with a basket for Chicago and Kirk Hinrich followed with a 3, making it 84-76. Erick Dampier's dunk for Dallas cut the lead to 86-81, but Brown answered for Chicago by going around Nowitzki for a basket and hitting a jumper to put Chicago up 90-81 with 1:16 left. Brown scored of six of his 12 points in the fourth quarter.
Associated Press
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