Heat 83, Bulls 80
Dwyane Wade and LeBron James combined to score 22 fourth-quarter points as the Miami Heat locked up a spot in the NBA Finals Thursday with a stunning 83-80 win over the host Chicago Bulls.
Down by double digits late, Miami closed the game on an 18-3 run - highlighted by a pair of James 3-pointers and a Wade four-point play - to wrap up the Eastern Conference final in five games. The Heat will face the West-champion Dallas Mavericks in a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals.
With the game tied in the final minute of regulation, James blocked a Derrick Rose pass attempt and the Heat recovered the ball. James then buried a stepback jumper from 18 feet to give Miami an 81-79 advantage, its first lead since midway through the opening quarter.
Rose hit just one of two free throws at the other end while Bosh converted a pair of foul shots for Miami. Rose had a final chance to send the game to overtime but couldn't get off a decent shot attempt with a pair of Miami players draped all over him.
James finished with 28 points while Wade added 21 and Chris Bosh poured in 20.
Rose had 25 points but shot just 9 for 28 in defeat.
Chicago held Miami to 37.1 per cent shooting in the first half to take a 45-38 lead into the break. A Keith Bogans 3-pointer just past the midway point of the third quarter gave the Bulls an 11-point edge before Miami clawed back thanks to a free-throw barrage ignited by a Carlos Boozer flagrant foul for hitting James in the face as he went in for a layup.
Rose opened the final quarter with a 3-pointer, then found a wide-open Kurt Thomas for his first basket of the series as Chicago restored its double-digit advantage. Miami responded with a 7-0 run highlighted by a 3-pointer from James, who had missed his previous nine shots.
Rose answered with a spinning jumper from the free-throw line, but Wade was fouled on a made 3-pointer on Miami's next possession and hit the ensuing free throw to cut it to 79-76. Rose missed a shot from in close and James countered with another 3 from the left elbow to draw the teams even with 1:01 remaining.