Fitzgerald Cecilio

Chicago, IL

The Chicago Bulls beat the Miami Heat 101-97 to halt the latter's winning streak at 27 and end its bid to duplicate or record NBA's longest.

Luol Deng scored 28 points, including four 3-pointers, seven rebounds and five assists to lead the Bulls. Carlos Boozer added 21 points and 17 rebounds and Jimmy Butler provided a spark with 17 points and a career-high five assists.

The Bulls played without Joakim Noah (right foot), Marco Belinelli (abdominal strain), Richard Hamilton (lower back) and Derrick Rose (ACL).

"We've been saying it all year: When we're at our best, we can beat anybody," said Deng.

The Bulls led 55-46 at halftime but momentum appeared to turn for good quickly early in the third. As the Bulls continued to struggle offensively, Shane Battier's 3-pointer with

4:30 left capped a three-shot possession and gave the Heat their first lead at 59-58. Boozer completed a 3-point play with a dunk and a free throw to grab the lead back for the Bulls, 69-68, at the end of the third. The Bulls made it 83-75 with just over six minutes left after a three-point shot by Deng.

Miami never got closer than 7 points until Ray Allen's layup cut it the Bulls lead to 94-89 with 1:22 left

James was frustrated on the court at times, and showed more of the same in the locker room afterward with regard to how he's officiated.

"Those are not basketball plays and it's been happening all year," James said. "I've been able to keep my cool and try to tell Spo (coach Eric Spoelstra), 'Let's not worry about it too much,' but it is getting to me a little bit."

He noted that Kirk Hinrich took him down with two hands in the first quarter, and that Taj Gibson's contact around his neck with about 4 minutes remaining was excessive.

Referees reviewed the Gibson hit, but did not award a flagrant foul. So, seconds later, James tried to barrel through Boozer on a screen, and got called for a Flagrant 1 foul.

James led the Heat with 32 points. Chris Bosh scored 21 and Wade added 18 points.

"It's one of the best that this league has ever seen," said James said, referring to the streak.

"To do something like this, everyone needs to step up," said Battier, who was part of a 32-game winning streak at Duke, a 22-gamer with the Houston Rockets and now played a role in this epic Heat run.

Miami finished six wins shy of the 33-game record held by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers.

Some of those Lakers believed their time would pass as Miami's streak rolled along, with Jerry West among those saying that he believed the reigning champions had a real shot at pulling it off.

"I really thought they were going to do it," said after the Heat lost. "I wasn't rooting against them at all. At halftime [of the Chicago game], I thought they were going to win the game. But all you need sometimes is a few things to go wrong.

Heat president Pat Riley played for the Lakers team that won 33 in a row, and remained silent throughout Miami's streak, mainly because he rarely gives interviews these days but more so because the official team stance was that it simply did not matter.

This season is championship-or-bust for Miami, one where nothing else other than raising yet another Larry O'Brien Trophy will satisfy.

 

 

 

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Bulls Halt Heat Winning Streak at 27