Miami Heat 100 Chicago Bulls 88

The Miami Heat came into Friday nights game on a five game winning streak. While the Chicago Bulls came in the game after blowing a late double digit lead in the final three minutes of there last game. The Bulls are also dealing with the post game interviews by Dwayne Wade and Jimmy Butler calling out the team and then Rajon Rondo calling out Wade and Butler on Instagram. Wade and Butler where held out of the starting line up as punishment over the interview comments as Rondo continued to come off the bench. In the end it all played out with the Heat picking up their 6th straight victory 100-88 over the Bulls.

After five ties the last being at 15 all early in the 1st quarter the Heat went on a 12-0 run to take a 27-15 lead with 4:20 left in the quarter. The Bulls where able to cut into the Miami lead a little bit and when Rajon Rondo hit the final basket of the quarter the Bulls had the lead under double digits at 33-24 after one quarter.

The Bulls were able to knock a couple of more points of the Miami lead and with the score 37-30 both teams struggle to get the next basket. There where four missed shots, three turnovers, two fouls and a full timeout before Paul Zipser hit a jump shot to end the drought. The Bulls came all the way back to tie the game at 40 all and then took the lead at 45-42 when Zipser hit a 3-pointer. The game stayed close as there where four more ties including at the end of the quarter as the game went into half time tied at 53 all.

The 3rd quarter started out even between the two teams. Miami found themselves up two points at 63-61 with 7:31 to play before going on a 14 to 6 run to take a 77-67 lead with 1:00 minute left in the quarter. Neither team was able to score in the final minute of the quarter and the Bulls managed just 14 points in the 3rd quarter. So the 3rd quarter ended with Miami up 77-67.

The Bulls scored 7 of the first 10 points in the 4th quarter to cut the Miami lead to 80-74. The Heat then scored seven straight points to build a double digit lead at 87-74. The Bulls where never able to get closer than 11 points which they did on three different occasions as Miami was able to extend there winning streak to six games with a 12 point 100-88 victory.

Miami’s Goran Dragic was the games high scorer with 26 points. Dragic also handed out a game high 11 assists. Willie Reed had 20 points while Dion Waiters scored 19 points. Wayne Ellington came off the Heat bench to score 14 points. James Johnson grabbed a game high 9 rebounds for Miami.

Dwayne Wade was the Bulls leading scorer coming off the bench to score 15 points. Taj Gibson and Paul Zipser each had 14 points for the Bulls. Rajon Rondo score 13 points and was the team leader in assists with 7 and rebounds with 7. Jimmy Butler had one of the worst nights of his NBA career, Butler went 1 for 13 from the field and split a pair of free throws managing to score just 3 points in the game.

This was the first game of a back to back for the Heat and the win improved there record to 17-30. Miami will return home and put there six game winning streak on the line as they host the 21-25 Detroit Pistons. The loss dropped the Bulls to 23-25. Chicago will get a day off before they host the 17-28 Philadelphia 76ers Sunday night.