38 second-quarter points add fuel to the Heat
Towns scores 32 in Timberwolves’ win
CHICAGO — Goran Dragic scored 24 points and the Miami Heat followed the lowest-scoring first quarter in team history with their highest-scoring one of the season to beat the Chicago Bulls 100-93 on Sunday.
After scoring seven points in the first quarter, Miami had 38 in the second to take a 45-42 lead.
Wayne Ellington added 19 points, James Johnson had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and Hassan Whiteside had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Jerian Grant led Chicago with 24 points. Denzel Valentine had 14 points and career highs of 13 rebounds and seven assists.
Ellington ignited the Heat after the 2-for-19 first-quarter from the field, scoring 10 points and hitting three 3-pointers as Miami shot 68.4 percent in the second quarter.
“They (the bench) inspired the whole team,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We were looking for some kind of energy, some kind of separation. We understand that it was going to be a 48-minute game and they played some inspiring basketball, not only in the fourth quarter but in that second quarter.
Tyler Johnson and Kelly OIynyk added 10 points apiece off the bench as four members of the Heat’s second unit reached double figures.
Justin Holliday added 15 points for Chicago.
TIMBERWOLVES 119, SUNS
108: In Minneapolis, KarlAnthony Towns had 32 points and 12 rebounds and Minnesota took advantage of Suns guard Devin Booker’s absence.
Jimmy Butler had 25 points, and Andrew Wiggins added 21 for Minnesota.
The Suns announced shortly before the game that Booker — who scored 35 points in Phoenix’s home victory over Minnesota on Nov. 11 —would sit out because of an injured big right toe.
NETS 98, GRIZZLIES 88: In Memphis, Tenn., DeMarre Carroll scored 24 points and Brooklyn snapped a three-game losing streak.
Joe Harris finished with 13 points for the Nets, who used a third-quarter spurt to put away the Grizzlies.
Marc Gasol and Tyreke Evans scored 18 points apiece for Memphis, although Gasol did not play at all in the fourth quarter as a smaller Grizzlies lineup made a dent in Brooklyn’s 19-point, second-half lead.