Dragic, Ellington lift slow-starting Heat

CHICAGO — Goran Dragic and the Miami Heat followed the lowest-scoring first quarter in team history with the highest-scoring one of the season to beat the Chicago Bulls.

After scoring seven points in the first quarter, Miami had 38 in the second to take a 45-42 lead en route to a 100-93 victory Sunday.

Dragic scored 24 points, Wayne Ellington had 19 points and five 3-pointers off the bench and the Heat’s four reserves outscored their five starters. James Johnson added 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and fellow reserves Tyler Johnson and Kelly Olynyk scored 10 points apiece as the Heat bench produced 54 points to extend the team’s winning streak to three.

Jerian Grant led Chicago with a career-high 24 points. Denzel Valentine had 14 points and career highs of 13 rebounds and seven assists.

“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. That’s what really changed the momentum and brought us back into it.”

The Heat shot 2-of-19 from the field in the first quarter but only trailed 13-7 because the Bulls made just 4-of-24 shots, including 1-for-15 inside the 3-point arc.

The 20 combined points were the fewest in any quarter in Bulls history.

Ellington ignited the Heat after the first-quarter from the field, scoring 10 points and hitting three 3-pointers as Miami shot 68.4 percent in the second quarter.

Ellington continued his hot 3-point shooting overall, going 5-of-8 behind the arc.

The veteran reserve made multiple 3-pointers in each of the Heat’s past four games, going 20-for-35 in that stretch, and at least one in 11 straight. Ellington is shooting 44.2 percent for the season.

The Heat started slow again in the third quarter, prompting Spoelstra to leave his second- and third-leading scorers, Dion Waiters (four points) and Hassan Whiteside (11 points, nine rebounds), on the bench down the stretch as the Heat pulled away after Chicago cut the lead to 83-81 with 5:40 to play.