By Josh Tolentino
EBC Sports
CHICAGO, United States — Dwayne Wade knows every game against the Miami Heat will always have a different feel.
It showed as Saturday evening was just the second game this season against his former team, but Wade made sure he was the best player on the court, scoring 28 points as the Chicago Bulls defeated the Heat 105-100 at the United Center.
“There was no surprise there,” Heat Filipino-American coach Erik Spoelstra said of Wade’s effort, who also had three rebounds and three assists. “We’ve seen it for years on our end. He showed the variety of moves then. He puts a team’s defense under great pressure. He knows what your defense is going to do and jus where to go to beat them.”
Hassan Whiteside came out on fire, scoring 16 points in the first half, including the Heat’s first eight of the game. Whiteside was limited to just two points in the second half due to foul trouble and a better defensive effort from Chicago. Goran Dragic also had an impressive first half performance with 15 points. He scored just six in the second half, finishing with 21 points and 11 assists.
“My teammates were finding me in spots,” Whiteside said. “They were really sharing the ball…But it was a tough few possessions down the stretch. We wish it went another way but sometimes it doesn’t go that way.”
https://youtu.be/3TLlKKGhMIM
Chicago went on an 18-2 run early in the third quarter and never gave up the lead.
The Bulls connected on just one three-pointer all game but converted on 28-of-31 free throw attempts including a game-high 15-of-16 from Jimmy Butler. Butler, who finished with 31 points, seven rebounds and five assists, had two clutch free throws at the end of the fourth quarter to seal the deal against the Heat.
The Heat had a chance to tie the game down three points with just seven seconds left, but Josh Richardson fumbled a handoff pass from Dragic and turned the ball over with less than a second remaining. Spoelstra credited Wade on sniffing out the last play call and playing good defense to force the Heat to switch the play.
“It will never look right looking at him (Wade) in a Bulls uniform,” Spoelstra said. “He’s invaluable. He’s a Hall of Famer on the court but also a Hall of Fame person. Those qualities immediately are felt in the locker room. He’s a standup human being, believes in the right things, a family man. He’s a great leader in the locker room.”
Bulls coach Fred Holberg laughed when talking about Wade’s performance against his former team.
Hoiberg said: “Dwayne obviously had it going tonight. I thought he had a lot of pop and good legs, and that and one dunk he looked like a 22-year old Dwayne Wade.”
Wade compared Saturday’s game against the Heat to a contest vs. Lakers on Nov. 30, when the Bulls dropped a very winnable game.
“We found a way to get a win,” Wade said. We lost a game like this earlier this year. Against the Lakers, we weren’t playing great and they found a way to beat us. In this league, there are going to be some nights you’re going to play amazing, and there are going to be some nights where you play just well enough to get a win. Never begrudge a win. We played good enough to get a win tonight.”
Miami’s Luke Babbitt (Hip), Justise Winslow (Wrist) and James Johnson (Rotator Cuff) all did not travel with the team. The Heat (7-17) return home to start a season-long six-game homestead on Monday evening against the Washington Wizards.
The Bulls (13-10) welcome the Minnesota Timberwolves and former coach Tom Thibodeau to Chicago on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the United Center.
