NBA: Nuggets beat Bulls in OT after Noah called for offensive goaltending

The Chicago Bulls thought they had this one won on a late score by Joakim Noah. The referees however did not agree.

Noah's potential game-winner was wiped out by the referees who called the Bulls center for offensive goaltending, allowing the Denver Nuggets to escape with a 119-118 win, Monday (Tuesday, PHL time) at the United Center in Chicago.

The win extended Denver's streak to 12 straight victories, 46-22, allowing them to threaten the Memphis Grizzlies (45-21) and the LA Clippers (46-21) for the fourth and third Western Conference Playoffs seeds, respectively.

Chicago on the other hand dropped to 36-30, tying the Boston Celtics in the East.

The Nuggets had a healthy 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter, 83-73, but the Bulls were undeterred, and got within three on a Nate Robinson triple and Jimmy Butler charities, 99-96 with 2:24 left in regulation.

Free throws and a lay-up by Wilson Chandler made it a five-point lead for the Nuggets, 103-98, only for Luol Deng and Marco Belinelli to connect on back-to-back hits, sandwiching a block by Noah on Ty Lawson. Andre Miller nailed a lay-up on the other end, but he was later called for traveling, allowing Nate Robinson to can a deadlock-forming triple with 13.4 seconds left, 105-all.

Denver had a chance to win in regulation, calling a timeout to set-up a play, but Ty Lawson's jumper failed to connect.

The two teams traded the lead back-and-forth in overtime, with Nate Robinson again playing bigger than his size, connecting on a pair of shots for a 115-114 Chicago lead, 1:04 left.

Tip-ins by Kosta Koufos and Joakim Noah maintained the difference in scores, but Robinson added to his side's tally with a split, 118-116 with 18.4 seconds left.

Off a timeout, Andre Iguodala buried a triple for a slim one-point Denver lead, 7.1 seconds left. It would be on the next possession when Noah would be called for goaltending, ruining his side's chances, as the Nuggets escaped by securing possession with 1.7 ticks on the clock.

Wilson Chandler led the frenzied efforts of the Denver Nuggets bench with 35 points, nine boards and four assists. Fellow reserve Corey Brewer had 16 markers and three steals, while Andre Iguodala posted a double-double of 12 points, 10 rebounds, plus two steals and three blocks.

Nate Robinson led Chicago with 34 big points, plus seven assists. Luol Deng chimed in with 21, Marco Belinelli added 18 points eight rebounds and four steals, while Joakim Noah stuffed the stats sheet with 14 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and seven blocks.

Denver dominated the rebounds, 53-42, 20-12 on the offensive end. - AMD, GMA News