Bulls 103, Heat 82
Derrick Rose had 28 points and the Chicago Bulls used a suffocating defensive stand in the second half to earn a 103-82 win over the visiting Miami Heat on Sunday in Game 1 of the NBA's Eastern Conference final.
Chicago limited the explosive Heat to just six points over an 11-minute span of the third and fourth quarters, a stretch that saw the Bulls turn a one-point deficit into a 17-point lead. They weren't seriously challenged the rest of the way, securing a convincing victory in the opener of the best-of-seven.
Luol Deng added 21 points for the Bulls, who will host Game 2 on Wednesday night.
Chris Bosh led all scorers with 30 points for the Heat, but cohorts Dwyane Wade (18) and LeBron James (15) combined to shoot just 12 for 32. Miami was outrebounded 45-33, including 19-6 at the offensive end.
With the teams even at the half, Rose hit a 3-pointer to kickstart a 7-0 run and buried another long-range shot later in the quarter after the Heat had gone back in front. Miami went ice cold from the field afterward, finishing with just two field goals over the final 7 1/2 minutes of the quarter to find itself down 72-63 after three.
Chicago continued its surge early in the fourth, with dunks by Omer Asik and Ronnie Brewer followed by a C.J. Watson 3-pointer that extended the advantage to 83-66.
Miami trimmed the deficit to 12 but Korver answered with a 3 and Rose hit a running jumper following a Wade turnover to put the game out of reach.