News / Sports
NBA Scores: Bulls Use Big Fourth Quarter to Drop Heat, Take 3-0 Series Lead
Ben Gordon scored 27 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, Luol Deng added 24 points and 11 boards and Kirk Hinrich finished with 22 points and 6 assists as the Chicago Bulls beat the Miami Heat 104-96 to take a 3-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series.
The Bulls trailed by seven early in the fourth quarter but used a 10-0 run to take an 82-79 lead with eight minutes left in the game. Hinrich pushed the advantage to nine with just over three minutes left in the game but Dwyane Wade was able to pull the Heat back to within three on a jumper with 1:24 remaining. Wade had a chance to cut the Bulls lead to one but missed an 18-foot jump shot and Hinrich sank a pair of free-throws to push the lead back to five. Luol Deng hit three from the foul-line over the final 18 seconds to seal the win and bring Chicago to within one victory of advancing to the second round.
Miami had looked like they might break the game open after a 14-2 run to start the second quarter but they were never able to put the Bulls away. The heat led by as many as 12 in the third only to carry a three point lead into the fourth.
Wade led the Heat with 28 points and 9 rebounds while Shaquille O’Neal finished with 23 points and 13 boards in the loss.
Both teams will meet again on Sunday in Miami for game four of their best of seven series.
