One stat stood out to IU coach Kelvin Sampson after his team’s 65-60 victory against Minnesota Thursday night.

It wasn’t 46.8 percent, 40.9 percent or 16 - representing for the shooting percentage from the field, beyond the arc and the rebounding margin on the evening for Sampson’s No. 9 Hoosiers.

No, to the head coach, the most prominent number of the game was 26 – the number of turnovers committed in one of the toughest gyms to play in the Big Ten, Williams Arena.

“It was a weird game,” Sampson said. “Twenty-six turnovers and find a way to win on the road I don’t know if I’ve been in a game quite like that.”

Tubby Smith’s teams are usually known for their tough man-to-man defense, but Minnesota had shown zone looks and some trapping presses, Sampson said before the game.

The Gophers did indeed run some press defense off of made baskets. The Hoosiers struggled in the first half as the team had not faced the press all season.

“Their press really hurt us,” Sampson said. “They were the first team that pressed us.”

The pressure resulted in an array of turnovers for the Hoosiers. Sampson said one of the only positives of the turnovers was that they were the result of arrant passes going out of bounds – allowing the Hoosiers to set up its defense.

In particular, freshmen guards Eric Gordon and Jordan Crawford struggled protecting the ball in a hostile road environment.

“I kept telling Eric and Jordan in the timeout that we are wearing red,” Sampson said jokingly after the game.

Many of Gordon’s seven turnovers were the result of trying to push the flow of play Sampson said. While the expectations each game are sky high for the talented Gordon, Sampson reminded the media that he is still a freshman.

“Some of Eric’s turnovers were just unforced,” Sampson said. “Like all kids that have ability, they just try to do too much sometimes. Certainly he can play a lot better and I think he will.”

The Hoosiers made adjustments in the second half, forcing the Gophers to stop pressing midway through the final period and drop back to different half-court sets. Sampson said by getting the ball to the middle of the court the Hoosiers could use dribble penetration to help break the press.

“Just getting the ball to the middle of the court,” Sampson said. “The press only works if you make mistakes I know that sounds simple, but all we did different is get ‘Tone (junior guard/forward Jamarcus Ellis) to the middle of the floor.”

Despite the 26 turnovers, the Hoosiers escaped the Twin Cities with it’s third conference road win of the season and remained tied atop the Big Ten standings with Wisconsin at 4-0.

“It’s frustrating, but it’s a learning process, and we all know that,” senior Lance Stemler said.

Even the return of Shaquille O’Neal couldn’t help the hapless Heat.

Ben Gordon scored 24 points, Joe Smith added 23 and the Chicago Bulls handed Miami its 11th straight loss, beating the Heat 126-96 on Wednesday night.

O’Neal had 24 points and 10 rebounds in his return to the lineup for Miami. He started for the first time since Dec. 26, when he aggravated a previous hip injury, missing eight games in that stretch. O’Neal fouled out for the sixth time this season.

“It’s the same old thing, we just need to get it together,” O’Neal said. “Offense is not a problem. We need to stop somebody.”

After making only two of his first nine shots, Dwyane Wade finished with 24 points.
Luol Deng had 21 points and Andres Nocioni rebounded from an injury in Tuesday’s loss at Orlando to score 20 points. Thabo Sefolosha scored a season-high 17 points for the Bulls, whose 126 points were a season high.

Jason Williams scored 17 points and Udonis Haslem had 15 for Miami, which has hit a new low in a down season, seemingly with no end in sight.

“That was as complete a loss as you can have,” Heat coach Pat Riley said. “The team didn’t quit, it’s just bad. … When you give up 126 points defensively at home and you’ve already lost 10 in a row, it’s bad. I have now, tonight, at this moment, no answers for it.”

The Heat’s last win was Dec . 22, 104-102 over Utah.

“We lose every time,” Wade said. “We lose and it’s a fact of life. It’s not easy.”

Miami pulled to 62-60 at 9:03 of the third, but the Bulls went on a 10-3 run and never looked back, taking a 93-79 lead into the fourth period.

“It was a much needed win after two tough losses,” Sefolosha said. “We came out ready to play and did the job throughout the game.”

Nocioni hurt his hip in the third quarter of Tuesday’s game after he fell on his back and had to be helped from the court. He didn’t show any after effects of that injury.

“I feel much better after I loosened up a little bit,” Nocioni said. “It’s going to hurt tomorrow but there’s nothing broke and I’m going to be ready for the next game.”

With O’Neal’s presence in the lane, the Bulls went to their perimeter shooting game in the first period. Seven of their first eight field goals came from outside.

“I’m really pleased with the way our guys responded,” Bulls coach Jim Boylan said. “It has been a tough week for us and a tough road trip. With all that’s been swirling around us we didn’t want to go home with another loss. This is nice for the guys.”

Miami outscored Chicago 30-24 in the second period, cutting the Bulls’ lead to 58-53 at the half. O’Neal had 18 points in the first half, his best half of the season. Smith had 17 first-half points for Chicago.

“We played with a lot of pride,” Smith said. “We felt the last two games (losses at Atlanta and Orlando) were very disappointing for us and our fans to watch in Chicago. We just wanted to play and be aggressive on both ends of the floor. We wanted to get some momentum going home.”

The Bulls closed out the first quarter with a 14-5 run to take a 34-23 lead

Illinois coach Bruce Weber says he has yelled, thrown tantrums, brought in guest speakers, peppered his players with motivational sayings and tried just about anything else he thought might shake the Illini out of their funk.

No luck yet.

Trevon Hughes scored 22 points and Brian Butch added 16 as No. 21 Wisconsin beat Illinois 70-60 on Thursday night to give the Illini their first four-game losing streak under Weber.

The losing streak began with three home losses, something Weber said was particularly troubling, and now the Illini (8-8, 0-3 Big Ten) head to No. 11 Indiana on Sunday as part of a stretch in which they’ll play five of seven on the road.

“We shouldn’t be in this dilemma,” said Weber, who is in his fifth season at Illinois. “If we played this hard back at the time, we wouldn’t be in this position, and this wouldn’t be a major catastrophe.”

The Illini, who came in as the only conference team to beat Wisconsin (13-2, 3-0) in the Kohl Center under coach Bo Ryan, managed to hang around for much of the game.

That was largely due to their 13 offensive rebounds, which produced 12 second-chance points, and shooting well from behind the 3-point line, a rarity for Illinois.

But the Badgers were finally able to take charge midway through the second half. Calvin Brock brought the Illini within 44-41 with just under 10 minutes to go before Wisconsin responded with consecutive 3-pointers from Jason Bohannon and Hughes. That sparked a 16-5 run over the next five minutes that put Wisconsin up 60-46, and Illinois wouldn’t threaten again.

Hughes played his best game since missing Wisconsin’s win at then-No. 9 Texas two weeks ago with a sprained ankle. The point guard had 11 points and five assists in Wisconsin’s wins over Michigan and Iowa, but he added five assists and six steals to his game-high 22 points Thursday.

He said he finally felt quicker than he had in the past two games, but the key was not trying to do too much.

“I just slowed it down a notch,” he said.

The Badgers shot 48 percent from the field, committed just nine turnovers and shot better than 72 percent from the free throw line, above their season average of 67 percent. But they were outrebounded 35-25.

Brock and Trent Meacham both had 14 points for Illinois, with Meacham hitting 4-of-5 from behind the 3-point arc. Illinois was 6-of-10 overall from 3-point range after coming into the game shooting just 28 percent from behind the arc.

While the Illini found their stroke from the outside, their post presence all but disappeared because of foul trouble. Shaun Pruitt was limited to 25 minutes and scored nine points, while Brian Randle scored four points and fouled out. The two combined to shoot 5-of-15 from the field and grabbed nine rebounds.

Randle had one particularly painful sequence on four straight Illinois possessions in which he missed an uncontested dunk, failed to convert a three-point play, jammed a second dunk attempt between the rim and backboard, and then had a third dunk attempt blocked by Greg Stiemsma.

“We’ve done all kinds of things,” Weber said. “We’ve just got to find a way to hang together and get a win.”

The 2007 season was outstanding for a bunch of fresh faces.

Sixteen players, including league MVP Tom Brady, made The Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team for the first time.

Yes, the record-setting New England quarterback who has won three Super Bowls in his eight pro seasons never was chosen an All-Pro, beaten out by the likes of fellow MVPs Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner and Rich Gannon.

Among the other newcomers were Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who led the league with 10 interceptions; Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware; and Titans placekicker Rob Bironas.

“This year, I think I proved a lot of people wrong, with everybody saying how my knee injury was going to affect me,” said Cromartie, whose first healthy NFL season was 2007. “I mean, I’m two years off of it. My biggest thing was proving everybody wrong.”

Bironas also has proven himself in the NFL after spending four years playing indoor football. He made a record eight field goals in a win at Houston, and was 35-for-39, plus a perfect 28-of-28 on PATs.

“It’s been an incredible journey,” said Bironas. “I didn’t have any doubt in myself when I got started on this journey in high school. That was my dream to play in the pros, and I just kept pursuing it. I wanted to be one of the better kickers in the NFL, and this year I was able to do that.”

Ware one was of the top linebackers, a pass-rushing threat who also was solid against the run. Offensive coordinators needed to account for Ware on every down.

“Coming from a smaller college, playing defensive end, and then converting to linebacker, seeing how over the years I’ve gotten better and better coverage-wise and stopping the run and, secondly, rushing the passer,” Ware said of his improvement since being a 2005 first-round draft pick out of Troy. “Now, I feel like I’m a well-rounded linebacker. Now I’m getting put in the realm with those other guys that have been here seven, eight years and have been great players. So you really see how your hard work pays off. It’s a great thing.”

The greatest thing in the NFL during the regular season: the Patriots. Along with Brady, who drew 49 1/2 of the ballots from 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL — one voter split at quarterback between Brady and Green Bay’s Brett Favre — New England had wide receiver Randy Moss (a unanimous choice), tackle Matt Light, linebacker Mike Vrabel and cornerback Asante Samuel on the All-Pro team.

All but Moss made the All-Pro team for the first time; Moss was chosen as a Minnesota Viking in 1998, 2000 and 2003.

Along with Moss, the other unanimous pick was Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, the league’s rushing leader, who made it for the third time.

Joining Tomlinson and Cromartie from the Chargers was fullback Lorenzo Neal, who clears many of L.T.’s paths.

Also with three players on the team were Dallas and Seattle. The Cowboys had Ware, tight end Jason Witten and wide receiver Terrell Owens; Ware and Witten were first-timers, Owens also was selected in 2000, ‘01 and ‘02 with San Francisco, and 2004 with Philadelphia.

“Any time you can be the best in the entire league, that’s always a special moment,” said Witten, who had 96 receptions and seven touchdowns this season. “There’s a lot of great tight ends out there, so to be on the top of that list is nice.”

The Seahawks had tackle Walter Jones, defensive end Patrick Kerney and linebacker Lofa Tatupu. Jones previously made All-Pro in 2001, ‘04 and ‘05; the others Seahawks were first-timers.

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren called Tatupu’s three-interception day in a win at Philadelphia on Dec. 2 “one of the great games I’ve ever seen a linebacker have.”

“Everybody has been instrumental in everything that I’ve been able to do,” Tatupu said. “The D-line has been enabling me to get sacks, DBs staying on their guys so we can get back there and get sacks, or getting interceptions.”

Joining Brady, Tomlinson and Neal in the backfield was Philadelphia’s Brian Westbrook, who led the league in yards from scrimmage with 2,104.

“Being named first-team All-Pro is an unbelievable way to cap a season that I am very proud of from a personal standpoint, although I wish things would have turned out differently for our team,” said Westbrook, whose Eagles were 8-8. “I have always said that I would trade personal accomplishments for the success of my team, but it’s great to be recognized for the things I have worked so hard to achieve.”

The rest of the offense had Minnesota guard Steve Hutchinson, Pittsburgh guard Alan Faneca, and Indianapolis center Jeff Saturday.

The other All-Pros on defense were Kansas City end Jared Allen, the league sacks leader with 15 1/2 ; Minnesota tackle Kevin Williams and Tennessee tackle Albert Haynesworth; San Francisco inside linebacker Patrick Willis, the only rookie on the squad; Indianapolis safety Bob Sanders, the Defensive Player of the Year; and Baltimore safety Ed Reed, making it for the third time.

San Francisco punter Andy Lee, also a newcomer to the squad, and record-setting kick returner Devin Hester of Chicago, who made it as a rookie in 2006, as well, were the other special-teamers.

In all, 15 AFC players and 12 from the NFC were chosen as All-Pros.

David Lighty and Othello Hunter each scored 14 points to lead Ohio State to a 79-48 win over Iowa Wednesday night, pushing the Buckeyes’ winning streak to eight.

Ohio State (12-3, 3-0 Big Ten) outscored Iowa 27-3 over the final 11 minutes of the first half to break open what had been a close game.

Reserve guard Eric Wallace scored 10 for Ohio State.

Tony Freeman scored a game-high 21 points for Iowa (7-9, 0-3), and junior forward Cyrus Tate added 10.

Iowa was 19-of-56 from the field while Ohio State made 33-of-63 shots and out-rebounded the Hawkeyes 36-33.

The Buckeyes are 3-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since winning their first seven conference games in 1991.

Eddy Curry dressed quickly, bolted from the locker room and stopped only for a moment in the hallway.

That he was in a hurry to leave the United Center was a surprise, given how well he played. Then again, his family was waiting.

Curry put on quite a show in his old home, scoring 29 points, and Jamal Crawford added 24 as the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Chicago Bulls 105-100 Tuesday night and snap a seven-game losing streak.

Curry has struggled against his former team, including a scoreless outing in a loss here last month.

“I was thinking that I didn’t want every game against Chicago to be a bad game, to be a losing game,” he said.

And for once, it wasn’t.

The Knicks trailed by 13 early in the fourth and were down 98-91 after Chicago’s Joe Smith hit a turnaround jumper midway through the quarter. But they ended the game on a 14-2 run.

Stephon Marbury, who scored 18 points, hit two 3-pointers during that stretch, including one from the top of the key after a pass from Curry that made it 105-100 with 11 seconds left. That sealed the win for the Knicks, who are 2-13 on the road.

Smith led Chicago with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Ben Gordon scored 21 points, and Kirk Hinrich added 20 points and nine assists. But the Bulls couldn’t hang on even though they had double-digit leads over one of the league’s worst teams in each of the final three quarters.

“We kind of relaxed and let them back in the game,” guard Chris Duhon said. “When you give a team like this confidence, they’re going to keep coming after you.”

The Knicks outscored the Bulls 28-12 in the fourth thanks to Curry.

The Chicago native scored nine points in the final quarter and hit 11 of 14 shots in the game while blocking four. Crawford scored 17 points in the first half, including New York’s final nine, and the Knicks led 53-52 at the break after trailing by 11 in the second quarter.

That was only the first wild swing in this game.

Trailing by three early in the third, the Bulls scored 13 straight to grab a 67-57 lead. The Knicks called time, and Nate Robinson quickly hit a 3-pointer, but baskets by Smith and a spinning Tyrus Thomas in the lane boosted the lead to 71-60 midway through the period.

The lead shrunk to five, but Duhon’s layup and Aaron Gray’s put-back in the final minute made it 88-77. Gray’s jumper early in the fourth made it a 13-point game.

But instead of a rout, there was a rally. A big one.

Crawford’s fadeaway jumper tied it at 100 with 2:29 remaining, and David Lee’s dunk gave the Knicks a 102-100 lead with 1:59 left. Thomas then charged into Curry with 1:15 to go, and Marbury hit that 3-pointer to clinch the victory.

“I’m getting back into the flow, getting my legs under me,” Marbury said.

Crawford added: “Those were big shots (Marbury) hit. It’s tough because we have so many guys who can score, guys get frustrated when they don’t get the ball. But Steph never did tonight and he stepped up and hit some big shots.”

So did Curry.

“Three things are going to happen when Eddy gets it,” coach Isiah Thomas said. “For us, we’re going to get a high percentage shot. He’s going to get us to the foul line, and hopefully, he won’t make a turnover when passing it out of the double team.”

Bulls fans booed loudly as their team walked off the court, a familiar chorus during this disappointing season.

Chicago’s Luol Deng missed his second straight game with left Achilles’ tendinitis, so the Bulls turned again to Andres Nocioni — not that he was a picture of good health.

Bothered by flu-like symptoms, he hit just three of 12 shots and finished with seven points after scoring 26 in Saturday’s win over Sacramento.

Deng’s absence and Nocioni’s illness had little to do with this loss, though.

“We’ve got to figure out how to execute down the stretch,” Smith said. “I think that’s what it boils down to. Our execution down the stretch.”

Les Miles unleashed an ear-piercing whoop, then leaned back and exhaled as if he had been holding his breath all night.

“I just had to do that,” the LSU coach said.

Easy for him to say, now that he has the BCS national championship trophy.

The second-ranked Tigers danced, dodged and darted their way into the end zone Monday night for a 38-24 victory, turning the title game into a horrible replay for No. 1 Ohio State.

They made it look easy with Matt Flynn throwing four touchdown passes. Now the debate begins: Are they the best?

In a season of surprises, this was hardly an upset: Ohio State once again fell apart in college football’s biggest game. A year after the Buckeyes were routed by Florida 41-14, they barely did better.

But this was unprecedented. Playing at their home-away-from-home in the Big Easy, the Tigers (12-2) became the first two-loss team to compete for the title.

Still, LSU was a runaway No. 1 in the final Associated Press poll. The Tigers received 60 of 65 first-place votes from a national media panel. Georgia, Southern California, Missouri and Ohio State rounded out the top five. Georgia had three first-place votes while Southern Cal and No. 7 Kansas each had one.

And while Miles got to hoist the $30,000 crystal prize, surely many fans around the country were wondering if someone else was equally worthy.

The top six teams in the final AP poll all had two losses and Kansas had one.

“Certainly there will be some argument as to who’s the best team. But I think the national champion has been crowned tonight,” Miles said. “I have give great credit to some divine intervention that allows us to be in this position.”

Shouts of “SEC! SEC!” bounced around the Superdome as the Tigers won their second BCS crown in five seasons. They are the first school to win a second title since BCS rankings began with the 1998 season.

My team is the No. 1 team in the land,” said All-American defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, who passed up the NFL draft to return for his senior season.

LSU rallied from an early 10-0 deficit, taking a 24-10 halftime lead that held up.

“We just didn’t do the things you need to do to win a ballgame of this nature. We’re very aware that LSU’s a deserving champion,” Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said.

Jacob Hester bulled for a short touchdown, Early Doucet wiggled loose for a touchdown and Dorsey led a unit that outplayed the top-ranked defense in the nation.

Ohio State (11-2) had little to celebrate after Chris “Beanie” Wells broke loose for a 65-yard TD run on the fourth play of the game.

“It’s unbelievable to know you’ve failed two years in a row,” Wells said.

LSU, whose two losses both came in triple overtime, became just the fourth favorite to win in 10 BCS championship games. The Tigers added to the crown they won in 2003 — their other national championship came in 1958.

“We came out here with the right frame of mind. We kept hanging in there,” Flynn said.

Miles probably got a little extra satisfaction, too. Though he turned down a chance to return home to Michigan, he did something his alma mater hasn’t done recently — beat the Buckeyes.

The loss left Ohio State at 0-9 overall in bowl games against teams from the Southeastern Conference. The SEC delights in whipping Big Ten teams in what’s become a rivalry that steams up fans on both sides.

Better on offense and defense, the Tigers got two big plays on special teams — Ricky Jean-Francois blocked a field goal, and LSU took advantage of a roughing-the-kicker penalty.

Flynn hit Doucet with a 4-yard toss with 9:04 left for a 31-10 lead and the celebration was on in earnest. The Buckeyes made the score more respectable on Todd Boeckman’s 5-yard TD pass on fourth down to Brian Robiskie, only to have Flynn come back and throw his second TD pass to Richard Dickson.

Flynn finished 19-for-27 for 174 yards and was picked the game’s most outstanding offensive player.

As the clock ticked down, Boeckman threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Brian Hartline.

Ohio State was trying to win its second BCS title in six years, and add to the one that Tressel captured by upsetting Miami 31-24 in double overtime for the 2002 championship.

For sure, the Buckeyes were perhaps the most-maligned No. 1 team in recent memory, with critics attacking them all season. Tressel gave his players a 10-minute DVD filled with insults hurled at them by television and radio announcers, hoping it would motivate his team.

Instead, the Tigers ravaged the nation’s best defense and showed that maybe all those naysayers were right.

“I worry about disappointment because of how hard the kids work. I don’t worry about criticism,” Tressel said. “If you struggle taking criticism, you better not be at Ohio State and better not be playing football.”

Known as a punishing runner, Wells got the game off to a quick start. On the fourth play from scrimmage, the Buckeyes’ bruising back started left, made a nifty cut right and burst through the middle.

Wells was gone, off on the longest run of his career. And so much for SEC speed — Wells outran All-America safety Craig Steltz for a 65-yard TD.

Wells was welcomed by a familiar face once he got back to the sideline. Miami Dolphins receiver Ted Ginn Jr., wearing scarlet and gray Mardi Gras beads, knew all about early strikes. He provided Ohio State’s only highlight in last year’s BCS title game, returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown.

This time, Ohio State made it 10-0 on its next possession. Boeckman hit a wide-open Brandon Saine for 44 yards, setting up Ryan Pretorius’ 25-yard field goal.

Only five minutes into the game, Ohio State and its all-brass band was blowing away the Tigers. LSU looked dazed and defensive coordinator Bo Pelini — who now becomes Nebraska’s full-time coach — had few answers.

Fortunately for the Tigers, their offense started clicking. On a team full of flash, it was the reliable ol’ Hester who settled down LSU.

First, he barreled into All-America linebacker James Laurinaitis for a short gain. Both players are the rugged type and in a nice show of sportsmanship, Laurinaitis — whose dad, Joe, once starred as “Animal” in the “Legion of Doom” wrestling tag team — helped up Hester.

Hester broke off a 20-yard run on the next play, and LSU eventually got a 32-yard field goal from Colt David that made it 10-3.

That score late in the first quarter seemed to jazz everyone in purple and gold. The Tigers zoomed into fast motion, the band’s Golden Girls suddenly put more bounce in their step and thousands of fans started screaming even louder.

Flynn also seemed to recognize exactly what Ohio State was trying to do. LSU quarterbacks spend a lot of time with an Xbox, playing a custom-made video game to read defenses. Apparently, what worked on the screen did even better on the field.

Two big penalties against Ohio State helped set up Flynn’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Dickson, who somehow found himself uncovered. Flynn punctuated the strike by hollering, giving a wild fist pump and putting up both hands to signal TD.

Tied at 10, the Buckeyes counted on Wells. He delivered one of the season’s best stiff-arms on a 29-yard romp, and Ohio State seemed poised to retake the lead.

Instead, Jean-Francois crashed through the middle, swung his big right arm and blocked Pretorius’ 38-yard field goal try.

As Ohio State trudged off the field and LSU ran on, it was all over. It only took a while to confirm it.

“We had a chance early and a chance later. LSU just made too many plays,” Laurinaitis said.

LSU turned to another of its five dangerous tailbacks, and NCAA sprint star Trindon Holliday zigzagged closer to the goal line. Flynn’s perfect pass to Brandon LaFell in the back left corner of the end zone put the Tigers ahead 17-10.

Then, it was time for LSU’s defense to make the big play. Cornerback Chevis Jackson intercepted Boeckman’s loss toss and streaked 34 yards down the right sideline.

The Tigers moved to a first-and-goal at 1. On third down, Hester plunged up the middle and it was 24-10.

Jamelle Cornley and Geary Claxton had their second consecutive pair of double-doubles, and Penn State held off Illinois 68-64 on Sunday.

Cornley had 18 points and 12 rebounds and Claxton added 11 points and 11 boards. The two combined for 40 points and 22 rebounds in the Nittany Lions conference opening win last week against Northwestern.

The Nittany Lions, winners of just three Big Ten games last season, are 2-0 in conference and 10-4 overall. They’ve won two in a road on the road after losing every road game last season.

Freshman guard Demitri McCamey gave sinking Illinois (8-7, 0-2) a little glimpse of its future in the loss, leading the Illini with 18 points.

It was McCamey breathed late life into the Illini.

After Claxton hit a pair of free throws to put the Illini up 63-58 with 41 seconds left, McCamey hit a pair of 3-pointers that pulled Illinois within a point at 65-64 with 10 seconds left.

But he missed his last shot, and the Illini’s last chance, floating up a shot from inside the lane.

Penn State started only one player taller than 6-5 Sunday, but outmuscled Illinois on the boards, 49-24.

During one, decisive stretch, from late in the first half to the midway point of the second, the Illini went more than 11 minutes without a rebound.

Penn State watched Illinois pull away to a lead of 9 midway through the first half, 20-11. Seven early points from junior Calvin Brock, all on long-range jumpers, helped build that lead.

The Nittany Lions slowly reeled Illinois back in, closing to within a point twice late in the half before taking their first lead, 25-24, on a pair of Talor Battle free throws with 2:22 left. Battle had 9 for the game.

After falling behind by 9, Penn State outscored Illinois 38-23 over the next 25 minutes, giving the Nittany Lions 49-43 lead with 12 minutes left in the second half.

Brandon Roy was hurting. He’d fallen on his tailbone and was so sore his mobility during two tiring overtimes was limited. He also had a cut under his eye.

“I took a couple of bangs here and there and just fought through it,” Roy said.

And so did the Portland Trail Blazers, the NBA’s hottest team.

Roy’s teammate Jarrett Jack drove for a go-ahead basket and converted a three-point play with 19 seconds left in the second overtime as the Trail Blazers outlasted the Chicago Bulls 115-109 on Thursday night for their 15th win in 16 games.

“I fell on my tailbone in regulation and I really couldn’t move,” Roy said. “I told Coach I’ll continue to be a decoy. … I was just trying to gut it out for the team. We’d come too far to let this one slip.”

Jack made sure that didn’t happen as the Trail Blazers improved to 2-0 since their 13-game winning streak ended Monday in Utah.

Roy had 25 points and Travis Outlaw 21 for Portland.

Ben Gordon scored 32 points to lead the Bulls and veteran Joe Smith added a season-high 31 as Chicago dropped to 3-2 since Jim Boylan was appointed interim coach after the firing of Scott Skiles.

With the game tied in the second overtime, Gordon lost the ball as he was dribbling to set up a shot, Jack picked it up after it was tipped and drove for a go-ahead layup and was fouled by Gordon. His free throw put the Trail Blazers up 111-108.

“The ball sprung loose and I was just ready to get it. I knew I was going to attack him after that,” Jack said. “It was me and him. My problem is being able to finish in the lane and luckily I was able to get it down.”

Gordon was trying to maneuver and get open for a shot, as he did most of the game.

“I was trying to pump fake and get him in the air but the ball slipped out of my hands,” Gordon said. “Somebody tipped it to Jarrett and I tried to get back and swipe the ball. … I didn’t touch him. I ran right past him. I was surprised to hear the whistle blow.”

Moments later, Smith just missed an attempt from in front of the basket, was fouled on the play and hit the first free throw but missed the second with 14 seconds to go.

Portland rebounded and James Jones sealed the exhausting victory by making four free throws down the stretch.

Gordon’s jumper with 1:01 left had given the Bulls a two-point lead in the second overtime, but Kirk Hinrich fouled Roy, landing on him after he faked a shot with 45 seconds remaining.

Roy made the first and then went to the bench to have a small cut under his right eye treated. He returned to the line and rolled in the second for another tie.

Luol Deng, the Bulls’ second-leading scorer at 18.5 points per game, left in the second quarter with tightness in his left Achilles’ and managed only two points. He played just 13 minutes and 55 seconds, all in the first half.

Deng said he’d hurt the Achilles’ in an earlier game and aggravated it Thursday night when he came down after a jump shot. He might have an MRI on Friday.

It was the fourth game in five nights for both teams, and the Bulls couldn’t hold a 14-point lead they built in the third quarter.

“It was a very winnable game,” Gordon said after the Bulls lost their second straight overtime game at home. “Both teams were tired. … They came up with more key plays in the pivotal moments.”

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 14 points and added 13 rebounds for the Trail Blazers. Ben Wallace chipped in 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Bulls.

Aldridge’s basket gave Portland a 106-104 lead in the second extra period but Wallace, a 49 percent free-throw shooter entering the game, made two straight from the line and was 4-for-4 in the two overtimes.

Averaging 29 points in the four games since Boylan asked him to drop out of the starting lineup and be the sixth man, Gordon scored 14 in the first half on 6-for-10 shooting. He finished 15-for-27 from the field.

Gordon’s 3-pointer and late jumper helped the Bulls take a 48-41 halftime lead. And when Chicago reeled off the first seven points of the third quarter, the lead was up to 55-41.

The Trail Blazers shot only 37 percent in the first two quarters and Aldridge was scoreless at the half. Aldridge had a career-high 36 points two games ago in the loss to the Jazz

From bringing Ben Gordon off the bench to giving Joakim Noah a chance, Chicago Bulls interim coach Jim Boylan is making all the right moves.

Boylan, the former Chicago assistant who took over after Scott Skiles was fired, improved to 3-1 as the suddenly resurgent Bulls rallied to beat the Charlotte Bobcats 109-97 on Wednesday night.

Gordon (22 points) had his fourth straight strong game since becoming the sixth man, and Luol Deng added 21 points and 13 rebounds. But it was Boylan’s decision to go with a big lineup featuring Noah that sparked the Bulls’ comeback from a 12-point third-quarter deficit.

Noah scored a career-high 17 points and grabbed six rebounds while playing the entire fourth quarter, displaying the energy that made the flamboyant forward a college star while leading Florida to consecutive national titles.

“Sometimes you go the way the game is going,” Boylan said about his decision to go big to counter Charlotte’s three-guard lineup. “If things are going well for you, then your enthusiasm and your concentration and our focus is really sharp. Tonight (Noah) was very focused, his energy was infectious to our guys and it really gave us a lift.”

It hasn’t been that way most of the season. Noah, the ninth overall pick in the draft, came in averaging four points and three rebounds in 12 minutes per game. He played four minutes and failed to score in Monday’s overtime loss to Orlando.

But on Wednesday, with Bobcats coach Sam Vincent stubbornly sticking with a small lineup, Joe Smith dominated inside in the third quarter, and Ben Wallace and Noah provided the spark inside in the fourth.

“We just wanted to take it to them and be the aggressor,” said Noah, who shot 7-for-10 and had two steals. “I think that’s what we did.”

Jason Richardson scored 28 points and Gerald Wallace added 23 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for the Bobcats, who couldn’t build off Monday’s comeback win over Indiana and had no answer inside.

“We’ve got to mix and match and keep trying to plug and see what works,” Vincent said. “Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”

With Richardson and Wallace combining for 26 first-half points, Charlotte built an 11-point lead on Derek Anderson’s two free throws with 4 seconds left.

Gordon’s 30-footer at the buzzer cut the deficit to 57-49 at halftime, but the Bobcats quickly built a 12-point lead on Wallace’s 3-pointer early in the third quarter.

That’s when Boylan started to take advantage of Vincent’s small lineup that includes guards Jeff McInnis, Raymond Felton and Richardson.

That forces Wallace to play power forward, and the 6-foot-10 Smith towered over him in the post. Smith promptly scored eight points in a 22-8 run to put Chicago back ahead.

In the fourth it was Ben Wallace and Noah’s turn. Wallace’s two one-handed dunks put the Bulls ahead 85-79 with 9:58 left. Noah then had a tip-in and a layup before Andres Nocioni’s 3 made it 92-82 with 7:42 to go.

“I was getting on him earlier, telling him he can’t dunk and I would never throw him a lob and all that stuff,” Gordon said of Noah. “Then he came out tonight and played with a lot of energy.”

Charlotte got to 94-89, but Gordon hit another 3 and Ben Wallace scored easily in the post when he somehow got matched up with Richardson, making it 101-90 with 3:16 left.

“They were crashing the board and getting a lot of second-chance points,” Richardson said. “I played a lot of small ball at Golden State and that’s what happens when you go small. But when you’re a small team you’ve got to really focus more on rebounding.”

The Bulls, who improved to 3-0 against Charlotte, held a 50-40 rebounding advantage. Charlotte’s best weapon inside, Emeka Okafor, was held to nine points and eight rebounds on 4-of-11 shooting.