Lauri hot, but Heat prevail
Rookie Markkanen scores 25, but Bulls’ record drops to 1- 5
MIAMI — The starting lineup and the rotation obviously remain fluid.
The results, however, are becoming all too familiar.
Despite a career- high 25 points from rookie Lauri Markkanen, the Bulls dropped to 1- 5, losing 97- 91 to the Heat on Wednesday at American Airlines Arena.
“It gives you a lot of hope,’’ coach Fred Hoiberg said when asked about his best offensive player, a 20- year- old from Finland.
“For [ Markkanen] to step up and play the way he is right now is such a great sign for the player who he is already and the player that he can become as he continues to mature and grow into his body, figure out everything that this league is all about.
“The kid has no fear whatsoever. He’s moving his feet real well defensively. He’s growing every game. He’s a student of it. He wants to watch film, and he’s a humble kid. So he has all the qualities to be a superstar in this league.’’
Now the team has to give Markkanen some help. Hoiberg still is kicking the tires in search of units that work together.
Hoiberg bumped Paul Zipser to the second unit to add shooting and went with more athleticism for the starting group by starting David Nwaba.
After the embarrassing loss Saturday to the Thunder, the logical move appeared to be moving Kris Dunn to the starting lineup and Jerian Grant to the bench, but Hoiberg and his staff had other ideas.
“All these guys are going to get plenty of opportunities,’’ Hoiberg said of the Dunn- Grant situation. “The more important thing for me is who is going to finish the game. That’s going to be determined by who is playing the best and could give us the best chance.
‘‘ I couldn’t care less who starts. It’s about finding the right combinations.”
The Heat jumped all over the Bulls from the opening tip, running Hoiberg’s new- look lineup right off the floor and going up 18- 6.
After a timeout by Hoiberg, Denzel Valentine and Dunn came in. For the rest of the first half, Dunn made his case.
Dunn helped bring the Bulls back, scoring seven points, includ- ing a nasty two- handed dunk over Heat big man Kelly Olynyk.
Thanks to Dunn, and 17 points from Markkanen, the Bulls were only down two going into the locker room.
They grabbed the lead in the third and increased it to six with 3: 46 left in the quarter before they started to unravel.
Dunn’s decision- making became a bit shaky, as evidenced by his three turnovers in the fourth quarter, and the shooting cooled off with the Bulls going 17- for- 44 in the second half.
Hoiberg finished the game with Dunn and Grant on the floor, clearing up little.
“If I had to grade myself, probably a C- minus,’’ Dunn said about his first few games. “In that second half, I made too many costly turnovers. That’s what we really emphasize, especially as a point guard. You can’t have too many turnovers, so that’s something I have to fix.’’
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