Bulls get payback from frustrating loss to Wade, Heat

The Bulls had one primary goal for Thursday's game against Miami: Under no circumstances should they get caught in a close game with the ball in Dwyane Wade's hands during the final seconds.

Mission accomplished.

Thanks to a hefty 27-5 run spanning the third and fourth quarters, the Bulls removed all suspense from a 106-87 victory over Wade and the Heat at the United Center.

The last two times these teams played, Wade drained a running 3-pointer at the buzzer in double overtime and found teammate Shawn Marion for a game-winning dunk with one second on the clock.

"That's what we were talking about before the game, kind of getting them back," Bulls guard Ben Gordon said. "We felt like we could have won a couple of those games, but it felt good to get a win tonight."

Wade was brilliant, hitting 12 of 21 shots for 31 points. He also became the first NBA player listed at 6-foot-4 or smaller to record 100 blocks in a season. But the Bulls did a nice job of making Miami a one-man team. Forward Udonis Haslem was the second-leading scorer with 13 points.

"The second half, we went a little bit to a 2-3 zone, then kind of a 2-3 and focus in on Dwyane, almost a box-and-one - whatever we could get away with," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "He's just so difficult to contend with, especially when his jumper's going."

Since the all-star break, the Bulls are 9-1 at home and they've won six of their last seven overall. This win, combined with Detroit's loss to the Lakers on Thursday, moved the Bulls into a virtual tie with the Pistons for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls (35-38) have a slight edge in winning percentage, but Detroit (34-37) has 1 fewer loss. Miami (38-34), meanwhile, dropped into a virtual tie with Philadelphia for fifth place.

"We're just trying to run away from everybody," said Derrick Rose, who returned to action after a one-game absence with a bruised right wrist.

The Bulls found a nice variety of offensive options. Forward John Salmons, despite suffering a slight groin strain, was again tough to stop, hitting 12 of 22 shots for 27 points. Gordon added 18, while Tyrus Thomas (15 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks) recorded his fourth double-double in the last five games.

"I wanted to stay in attack mode and not just come down and settle for jump shots (in the second half)," Del Negro said. "Kind of take guys off the dribble and make plays for your teammates. We just kept attacking."

Neither side led by more than 4 points until midway through the third quarter when the Bulls opened a 64-56 advantage. Miami answered with 7 straight points to close within 1, then the Bulls unleashed the 27-5 run over the next eight minutes. The lead peaked at 91-68 with 8:24 remaining on a pair of free throws by Ben Gordon.

Salmons scored 13 points in the third quarter when the Bulls forced Miami into 29 percent shooting and outscored the Heat 32-14.

"Give them credit, they have some tough weapons," Heat coach Eric Spoelstra said. "They exploded there in the third quarter."

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=282034">Rose plays, says he's OK <span class="date">[03/26/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=282032">Rozner: Thrilling, captivating Bulls action! No, seriously ... <span class="date">[03/26/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>