Collins scores 35 as Hawks beat Bulls 121-101
CHICAGO (AP) - John Collins scored a career-high 35 points, Trae Young had 12 assists and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Chicago Bulls 121-101 on Wednesday night.
Collins was 14 for 16 from the field as Atlanta kicked off a season-high, seven-game road trip with its first victory against Chicago in two years, stopping a five-game slide against the Bulls. Jeremy Lin, Young's backup, had 15 points, and Dewayne Dedmon finished with 14.
Chicago lost for the 11th time in its last 12 games. Zach LaVine scored 23 points, and Lauri Markkanen had 22 in the opener of a three-game homestand.
The Bulls trimmed a 20-point deficit all the way down to six when Markkanen made a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer. But the Hawks pulled away with an 11-1 run at the end of the third quarter.
Lin had seven points in the spurt, including a 3-pointer that lifted Atlanta to a 98-83 lead heading into the final period. Young, who finished with five points on 1-for-12 shooting, also made a 3 with 1:14 left.
Chicago never made a serious charge in the fourth, and what was left of the crowd chanted "We want Vince! We want Vince!" in the final minutes in an effort to persuade Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce to put Vince Carter in the game.
The Hawks encouraged the fans by pointing and motioning toward Carter, who turns 42 on Saturday. But the veteran guard stayed on the bench.
Taurean Prince also had 15 points for Atlanta, which had dropped three of four. Alex Len finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
NO MELO
There was no sign of Carmelo Anthony, save for his name on Chicago's inactive list. The Bulls acquired the forward in a trade with Houston on Tuesday, but are planning to trade the 10-time All-Star before the Feb. 7 deadline or ultimately waive him and make him a free agent.
Asked if his team might benefit from having Anthony around even for a short time, coach Jim Boylen said: "We have not had those conversations and from what I understand is that's not the direction we're going to go."
TIP-INS
Hawks: Rookie G Kevin Huerter missed his second straight game with a sore neck. "He just needs a little more time," Pierce said. "The neck was still sore. No panic, no rush and nothing to be concerned about."
Bulls: Bulls F Jabari Parker was sidelined by a right patellar tendon strain. The team announced the injury at halftime. ... Kris Dunn had 16 points, and reserve Wayne Selden finished with 11. ... The Bulls went 8 for 26 from beyond the arc. Asked before the game about an ideal number of 3-point attempts, Boylen said: "I feel like in my heart 45 might be too many for this group. Twenty-five's not enough."
UP NEXT
Hawks: Visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night.
Bulls: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. They have dropped five in a row against L.A.
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Jay Cohen can be reached at https://twitter.com/jcohenap
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