The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Chicago Bulls, 124-122, at United Center on Tuesday night.

The Thunder (36-22), which have been one of the pleasant surprises in the league, were unsurprisingly clear road favorites against the struggling Bulls (20-39) coming in, and they lived up to their status during a productive first half. OKC jumped out to a 72-55 halftime lead with some highly efficient shooting, but Chicago shocked the visitors by erasing their deficit during the third quarter and building a slim two-point advantage going into the final period. Ultimately, the rollercoaster battle came down to the hosts' last possession, which ended with Zach LaVine missing a would-be game-winning 29-foot three-pointer at the buzzer.

Danilo Gallinari paced the Thunder with 24 points, adding four rebounds and one steal. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder followed with matching 21-point tallies, with Gilgeous-Alexander also pulling down 11 rebounds. Chris Paul checked in with 19 points, nine assists, three rebounds and one steal. Steven Adams collected 16 points, nine boards, two assists, three steals and three blocks. Terrance Ferguson poured in 11 points.

LaVine led the Bulls with 41 points, complementing them with five rebounds, four assists and one steal. Coby White delivered 35 points, seven boards and three assists. Shaquille Harrison totaled 11 points, three boards, two steals and two blocks. Tomas Satoransky managed 10 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

The Thunder returns home and takes on the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night, while the Bulls hit the road and visit the New York Knicks on Saturday afternoon.