Chicago, IL (My Sportsbook) - The Chicago Bulls will try to halt a two- game skid when they welcome the Boston Celtics to United Center tonight.

Boston posted its first win on Saturday night when it knocked off the winless New York Knicks 117-107. Paul Pierce was unstoppable, scoring 14 of his game-high 46 points in the fourth quarter. His late surge was clearly the deciding factor.

"We were going to come in and do whatever it takes to get that first one," Pierce said. "I didn't want to leave this building without a win."

Antoine Walker added 18 points and 10 assists, while Eric Williams scored 19 for the Celtics, who lost by 45 points at Washington two nights earlier to drop to 0-2.

Chicago opened the season with a pair of wins and has since dropped two straight. The Bulls' latest setback was a 109-105 overtime loss to the Toronto Raptors, who were playing without Vince Carter (quad) and Antonio Davis (rib cage).

Chicago erased an 18-point deficit, but ultimately fell short at Air Canada Centre.

"We didn't get it done early," Jalen Rose said. "I have to point to myself first. I needed a better start to give the team a better chance and put Toronto in a hole."

Coach Bill Cartwright was frustrated by his team's slow start.

"We were not the hunter to start the game, and that is disappointing," Cartwright said.

It is at least promising that Chicago managed to rally from 18 points down in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Rose scored seven of his 24 points in the fourth, including a driving layup with 7.8 seconds left to tie the score at 94.

"Rose made a great play in the middle, and we just didn't get there in time," Toronto coach Lenny Wilkens said. "It would have been bad if we had lost our cool in overtime. We pushed the ball, and our trapping was much better."

Lindsey Hunter nailed the game-winner: a 16-footer with 1.6 seconds left in the extra session. Donyell Marshall was fouled with 0.4 seconds left and had a chance to tie the game, but he missed his first free throw, then committed a violation by failing to hit the rim on an intentional miss. Alvin Williams then made two foul shots to account for the final tally.

"Give the Bulls credit for making a terrific comeback," Wilkens said. "I'm just proud of the way we came back after we lost the lead and were able to pull out a game we deserved to win."

In retrospect, this game should have come with a warning label. The Bulls were favored on paper because they fielded a healthy 12, while Toronto was forced to use a short rotation.

Chicago opened the season with a 99-96 victory over the Celtics at FleetCenter. Last year, the teams split four meetings with the home team prevailing in each case. Boston has not fared well in Chicago, dropping 12 of its last 14 games there. The Celtics lead the all-time series 96-71.