Dragic leads Heat past Bulls, 100-93
Carroll’s 24 points lead Nets over struggling Grizzlies We were looking for some kind of energy
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.”
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. 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 Miami’s lead to 83-81 with five minutes, 40 seconds to play.
“I don’t think we look at it like Dion or Whiteside or Dragic,” James Johnson said. “We have a lot of weapons on this team. We have a lot of guys who could do it. We’re all trying to play our roles and master that.” Justin Holliday added 15 points for the Bulls, who lost their fifth in a row following an 0-4 West Coast trip.
Timberwolves 119, Suns 108 Karl-Anthony Towns had 32 points and 12 rebounds, and Jimmy Butler chipped in with 25 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves held on for a 119-108 win against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. Towns recorded his league-leading 16th double-double, and Andrew Wiggins scored 21 points with a season-high four 3pointers for Minnesota, which survived another strong shooting night from an opponent. Phoenix shot 50.6 percent from the field and was 13 of 26 from 3-point range despite playing without leading scorer Devin Booker. Taj Gibson had 16 points and a season-high 14 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who had lost three of their previous four games. Minnesota is off to its best start since 2005-06 when it also started 12-8.
Nets 98, Grizzlies 88 DeMarre Carroll scored 24 points and Trevor Booker had 16 points and 11 rebounds as Brooklyn beat Memphis. Marc Gasol and Tyreke Evans had 18 points each to pace the Grizzlies. Gasol scored only two points in the second half. Memphis, playing its sixth straight game without injured starting point guard Mike Conley, was outscored 32-18 in the third quarter. The Grizzlies lost for the 11th time in 13 games. — Agencies