Bulls 115, 76ers 105
CHICAGO -- Nikola Mirotic scored a game-high 32 points and the Chicago Bulls rallied for a 115-105 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
Justin Holiday added a career-high 29 points as the Bulls erased a 24-point, first-half deficit. Jimmy Butler posted his second career triple-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Chicago (42-40) secured its sixth consecutive winning season but missed the postseason for the first time since 2007-08. The Bulls increased their winning streak against the 76ers to 10 games.
Robert Covington scored a team-high 27 points on 7-for-17 shooting for the 76ers. Hollis Thompson contributed 21 points off the bench.
Philadelphia (10-72) dropped 16 of its final 17 games and finished with the second-most losses in NBA history. The only team to lose more games was the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, which finished 9-73.
Chicago entered the fourth quarter with an 86-73 lead after outscoring Philadelphia 35-13 in the third quarter. The Bulls scored the first seven points of the third quarter after scoring the final 12 points of the second quarter.
Holiday and forward Tony Snell hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give Chicago a 64-61 lead with 8:57 remaining in the third quarter. Holiday hit two more 3-pointers and a jump shot in the next 4:30 to increase the lead to 10.
Philadelphia maintained a 60-51 edge at halftime after leading by as many as 24 points in the second quarter. Covington drained a 3-pointer from the left corner to put the 76ers ahead 42-18 with 9:27 to go in the first half.
Chicago closed the second quarter on a 12-0 run to cut the deficit to nine points. Holiday stripped the ball from 76ers guard T.J. McConnell and sprinted for a fast-break dunk to end the half.
A 13-2 run helped Philadelphia seize a 32-16 lead at the end of the first quarter. McConnell came off the bench to score nine points in his first six minutes, including back-to-back baskets to finish the quarter.
NOTES: 76ers F Elton Brand was available off the bench for possibly the final game of his 17-year NBA career, but he did not play. Brand, 37, hinted at retirement in recent weeks but has not announced a final decision. ... Chicago had only eight players in uniform for Wednesday's season finale, which carried no playoff implications. Bulls players who did not dress for the game included G Derrick Rose (rest), F/C Pau Gasol (rest), G/F Mike Dunleavy (rest), F Taj Gibson (rib contusion), G E'Twaun Moore (hamstring) and F Cameron Bairstow (back). ... Philadelphia kept five players out of the lineup: F Carl Landry (low back soreness), F Richaun Holmes (right Achilles strain), G Isaiah Canaan (left shoulder), C Jahlil Okafor (right knee) and C Joel Embiid (right foot). ... Bulls C Cristiano Felicio made his fourth start of the season in place of Gasol. Felicio appeared in 31 games during his rookie campaign.