Bobcats’ Augustin is a key contributor

For a night, the No. 9 overall pick outplayed the top dog in the rookie draft class.

D.J. Augustin also may have received an assist from the referee who was in the spotlight all night.

Augustin scored a career-high 29 points in a one-on-one matchup of point guards with No. 1 pick Derrick Rose, and the undermanned Charlotte Bobcats stopped a seven-game losing streak with a 110-101 overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night.

Augustin forced overtime by hitting three free throws with 19 seconds left after Rose fouled him on a three-point attempt, a call that the Bulls vehemently protested.

The call was made by Eli Roe, who in the first quarter ejected Bobcats starting shooting guard Raja Bell for abusive language. Augustin calmly sank all three shots, then hit four more in the final 42 seconds of overtime to extend his team record to 42 consecutive made free throws.