The 27-game winning streak by the Miami Heat is no more thanks to the Chicago Bulls. What makes it even more shocking is that it got done without the services of point guard Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.
While he’s been medically cleared he has yet to play a game this season. So, how did it happen tonight? In the first half it was the play of Nate Robinson off the bench as he scored 11 points and Carlos Boozer made an impact on the glass grabbing eight rebounds in addition to 10 points.
LeBron James scored 18 of the 46 points for the Heat and Dwyane Wade was the second highest scorer with five points.
It was the third quarter that got Miami back into the game as Chicago struggled to score and at the start only were up one. That’s when Luol Deng who defended James impressively hit two threes and Kirk Hinrich made an impressive shot while in the open court opened the lead up to eight.
With just under five minutes left Deng was at it again this time scoring on a layup to push the lead to nine. The Heat’s defense turned up the pressure on both ends of the floor and the Bulls weathered that storm. With the two biggest plays were by Hinrich on a rebound to take it away from Chris Bosh and Boozer finding Robinson cutting to the rim who flipped it up in before James blocked the shot.
A foul by Jimmy Butler gave life as LeBron hit the free throw to cut the lead to six and started fouling to no avail. Bosh hit a three to pull within four, yet the Bulls advanced it to the front court and with .2 seconds lost it out-of-bounds sealing the victory.
Deng led the way with 28 points, seven rebounds, five assists, Boozer added 21 points and 17 rebounds and Butler 17 points and five assists.
For James he finished with 32 points and seven rebounds, Bosh scored 21 and Wade chipped in with 18 points and seven rebounds.
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