Poor execution late in the game produced the Nets? seventh loss in their last eight games at Izod Center. Making it worse, it happened against a team that had dropped seven straight on the road. But teams love coming to New Jersey. When things are going good or bad, they?re just about assured a win.

The Bulls were the beneficiaries of New Jersey?s woes Monday, capturing a 100-87 victory to end their skid and keep the Nets searching for reasons why they?re not as good at home as on the road.

"It seemed this would stop the home woes," Jarvis Hayes said. "This was a team we thought, if we played the right way with the right mind-set, we could get a victory. And for the most part, we had the right mind-set."

The Nets (15-16) fought back after falling behind by 14 in the second period. The game was tied, 86-86, with 4:35 left after a Josh Boone dunk. Then the collapse began.

Boone couldn?t convert the three-point play, bricking the foul shot that would have given the Nets the lead. Overall, they missed their last eight shots and 4-of-5 free throws.

The Nets? lone late point was a meaningless Vince Carter free throw with 15.9 seconds left after the Bulls scored 14 consecutive points following the Boone slam.

"It just came down to execution," said Devin Harris, who had 26 points, but none in the final 8:22.

The Nets would be the NBA story of the year if they learned how to win at home. They?re 10-4 on the road, tied with Cleveland for third-best in the league. In their building, though, the Nets are 5-12.

They had another good crowd ? 18,786 announced. The fans were energetic and tried to inspire the Nets to victory. In the end, it didn?t matter as they scored 15 fourth-quarter points and lost their ninth game at home by double digits.

"We wish we were giving our fans a better performance and wish they were seeing some of the things we?re doing on the road," said coach Lawrence Frank. "Hopefully if we can continue to have good habits it will carry over and we?ll give these guys their money?s worth."

Ben Gordon led Chicago (13-17) with 24 points. Rookie guard Derrick Rose scored 21, including 10 in the fourth.

Carter?s 31 points led everyone, but a lot of good it did the Nets, who missed 16-of-19 three-pointers.

In the fourth quarter, the Nets had trouble with Chicago?s pick-and-roll game as Rose and Andres Nocioni (17 points) went off.

Rose got into the paint easily, scoring on three layups during a 1:45 stretch, and Nocioni hurt the Nets from the outside. Over a 5:50 span, the two combined for all 18 Chicago points and helped erase an 84-80 Nets? lead.

By the time another Bull scored, it was Gordon knocking down a right-corner three with 2:56 left to make it 93-86.

Then with a chance to inch back, Harris, who contributed to the Nets? first 17 points of the third period, missed two foul shots. On the other end, Larry Hughes was fouled and made 1-of-2. Following a Carter miss, Gordon hit a left-corner three for a 10-point Bulls? lead with 1:46 remaining.

"It comes down to getting stops when you need them and executing our offense, especially in close games like this and back-and-forth games," Harris said. "We didn?t get either."

E-mail: iannazzone@northjersey.com