Coby White, Torrey Craig lead the Bulls past the Hornets in overtime, 115-108

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Coby White narrowly missed his first career triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and Torrey Craig scored 18 with five 3-pointers after halftime as the Chicago Bulls held on to beat the Charlotte Hornets 115-108 in overtime Monday night.

Nikola Vucevic added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls (15-18).

Miles Bridges had 31 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Hornets (7-25), who’ve lost 16 of 17.

Trailing by 3 in regulation, Bridges missed a corner 3 to tie it and Vucevic was fouled. But the Bulls center missed both free throws, giving Charlotte another chance. This time, Bridges connected on a leaning 3-pointer with 2 seconds left to send the game into OT.

The extra period was all Chicago.

The Bulls raced to an eight-point lead as White scored on a drive and Vucevic and Craig knocked down 3s.

The Ball brothers matchup never materialized. LaMelo missed the game wrist soreness. Brandon Miller (sprained ankle) also sat for the Hornets. Zach LaVine (toe soreness) and Ayo Dosunmu (soleus strain) were out for Chicago.

Bulls: Craig didn't play in the first half, but was a huge spark after the break. He finished 6 of 10 from the field and 5 of 7 from 3-point range.

Hornets: Guard Tre Mann will miss at least another two weeks with disc irritation. Mann is averaging 14.1 points off the bench, but hasn't played since Nov. 21.

Patrick Williams knocked down a corner 3 off an assist from Lonzo Ball with 49 seconds left in overtime to push the Chicago lead to seven. He had 17 points.

LaMelo Ball has now missed 116 of Charlotte's last 196 games over the past three seasons.

The Wizards host the Bulls on Wednesday night. The Hornets visit Detroit on Friday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry (25) drives to the basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (2) brings the ball upcourt during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Charlotte Hornets head coach Charles Lee looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry, front right, defends against Charlotte Hornets guard Seth Curry, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Charlotte Hornets guard Vasilije Micic (22) drives to the basket while guarded by Charlotte Hornets guard DaQuan Jeffries (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) blocks a shot by Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (44) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball (2) defends against Charlotte Hornets guard Vasilije Micic during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) defends against Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) brings the ball upcourt during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in Syria’ s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. Syrian state media said the military was deployed in large numbers.

The clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge the SDF into the national army. Security forces captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.

The fighting between the two sides was the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad to insurgents in December 2024. At least 23 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced amid shelling and drone strikes.

The U.S.-backed SDF, which have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in large swaths of eastern Syria, are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army. Some of the factions that make up the army, however, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.

The Kurdish fighters have now evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the SDF. However, they said in a statement they will continue to fight now that the wounded and civilians have been evacuated, in what they called a “partial ceasefire.”

The neighborhood appeared calm Sunday. The United Nations said it was trying to dispatch more convoys to the neighborhoods with food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies.

Government security forces brought journalists to tour the devastated area, showing them the damaged Khalid al-Fajer Hospital and a military position belonging to the SDF’s security forces that government forces had targeted.

The SDF statement accused the government of targeting the hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus accused the Kurdish-led group of using the hospital and other civilian facilities as military positions.

On one street, Syrian Red Crescent first responders spoke to a resident surrounded by charred cars and badly damaged residential buildings.

Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF forces did not allow their cars through checkpoints to leave.

“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. “So far the situation has been calm. There hasn’t been any gunfire.”

Syrian Civil Defense first responders have been disarming improvised mines that they say were left by the Kurdish forces as booby traps.

Residents who fled are not being allowed back into the neighborhood until all the mines are cleared. Some were reminded of the displacement during Syria’s long civil war.

“I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” said Hoda Alnasiri.

Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.

Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)