"Best in 2009," Wolves guard Sebastian Telfair said.

That 9-2 mark surpasses San Antonio's 9-3 record in the month, and Sunday's game was perhaps Jefferson's final statement -- a 39-point one at that, hobbling on a cramped leg at game's end -- that he deserves a place in next month's NBA All-Star Game. Western Conference coaches' ballots are due in Tuesday.

"I hope he gets in," teammate Randy Foye said. "He deserves it. He's the leader of this team. He's the leading scorer, the leading rebounder and we're one of the hottest teams in the NBA. All of us know he's an All-Star. If he doesn't get in, it's just probably because the other guys are on TV more."

The Wolves trailed 12-2 and 20-4 almost before they knew it, but they recovered with an effort the rest of the way that was long on grit and resiliency and lacking nearly any aesthetics.

"I tell the guys that every night is not a Picasso," McHale said. "I'm sure Picasso threw more pictures in the garbage than he put on museum walls. I won't watch the film of this one. I'll just wonder for the rest of my life how we won."

It says volumes about the Wolves' development that McHale's team delivered a performance he compared to trash and yet it still won for the 11th time in 15 games.

The Wolves did so because Telfair's first-quarter scoring kept them in the game early and because Jefferson -- his cramping leg be damned -- refused to go quietly into the good night late.

"I don't know what to say," said Bulls center Joakim Noah, who valiantly but unsuccessfully tried to contain Jefferson on a 39-point night, one shy of Jefferson's career high. "I was playing as hard as I could. He just kept scoring the ball."

Jefferson's tip of his own missed shot tied the score with 24 seconds left and forced overtime.

"That ball was teasing me a little bit,"said Jefferson, who made 16 of 29 field-goal attempts. "Thank God it worked out the way it did."

Randy Foye made two of nine shots and scored only nine points, but his running shot off the backboard with 41 seconds left provided the final margin of victory. The Wolves stopped the Bulls on their final two possessions, including two shots in the final four seconds that rolled around the rim and fell away.

"We were just determined," Jefferson said. "This team, we just don't want to get beat anymore."

GAME RECAP

MVP

Al Jefferson, Wolves

Big Al made one last big push for All-Star Game consideration with a relentless 39-point effort.

NUMBERS

9-2 Wolves' record in January, the NBA's best.

16 Bulls' first-quarter leads (20-4 and 28-12).

7:23 Time elapsed before the Wolves scored their first field goal.

4 Mike Miller shots (made one).

2-2 Wolves' overtime record.

JERRY ZGODA

Up next: 7 tonight at Milwaukee

Bradley Center - TV: FSN (1130-AM)