{"id":1099,"date":"2013-03-28T09:45:29","date_gmt":"2013-03-28T09:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigeria-news\/bball-bulls-halt-miami-heat-win-streak\/"},"modified":"2013-03-28T09:45:29","modified_gmt":"2013-03-28T09:45:29","slug":"bball-bulls-halt-miami-heat-win-streak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/bball-bulls-halt-miami-heat-win-streak\/","title":{"rendered":"B\/Ball: Bulls halt Miami Heat win streak"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Chicago Bulls ended the Miami Heat’s 27-game winning streak on Wednesday with a 101-97 triumph that halted the reigning champions’ bid for NBA history.<\/p>\n

The Heat’s streak was the second-best winning run in major North American professional sport — halted six games short of matching the 33-game NBA winning streak of the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers.<\/p>\n

The Heat had not lost since February 1 at Indiana.<\/p>\n

Chicago’s Luol Deng scored 28 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, and made four three-pointers. Carlos Boozer added 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Bulls, who leapt to an early lead and held their ground in a gritty performance.<\/p>\n

“We’ve been saying it all year: When we’re at our best, we can beat anybody,” Deng said.<\/p>\n

Going in, however, it seemed doubtful the Bulls would be at their best. Star guard Derrick Rose has yet to play this season as he recovers from a knee injury, and Chicago were also without injured All-Star center Joakim Noah of France, as well as guards Richard Hamilton and Marco Belinelli.<\/p>\n

“We didn’t play perfect, but we fought hard the whole game,” Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich said.<\/p>\n

Jimmy Butler added 17 points for the Bulls, who limited the Heat’s formidable offense to 44.4 percent shooting from the field in the second half.<\/p>\n

Heat superstar LeBron James scored 32 points on 11-of-17 shooting with seven rebounds.<\/p>\n

James’s usual role as a facilitator was limited, however. He had only three assists and became clearly frustrated by the Bulls’ physical approach to defending him. That included a two-handed take-down by Hinrich in the first quarter, and a rough grab by Taj Gibson in the fourth that was reviewed and ruled a common rather than flagrant foul.<\/p>\n

“I feel like I got the worst of it,” Hinrich said of his foul on James — who still gained two points from the play by making two free throws. “I was just hanging on for dear life.”<\/p>\n

James, who was assessed a flagrant foul himself for driving through a screen set by Boozer with less than four minutes to play, said some of the tactics crossed the line.<\/p>\n

“Those are not basketball plays,” James said, but the Bulls were unrepentant.<\/p>\n

“We just had that edge about us tonight,” Hinrich said.<\/p>\n

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Source: PM News<\/p>\n

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