Heat 115, Bulls 78
Ray Allen scored 21 points and LeBron James added 19 points and nine assists as host Miami recorded the largest margin of victory in franchise playoff history by annihilating Chicago to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series at 1-1.
Norris Cole tallied 18 points and Dwyane Wade added 15 as the top-seeded Heat shot 60 percent from the field and bounced back from Monday’s Game 1 loss. The scene shifts to Chicago for Friday’s Game 3 of the best-of-seven series.
Chicago’s Marco Belinelli scored 13 points and Joakim Noah added 12 before being ejected with 10:12 remaining in the fourth quarter. Taj Gibson also was ejected and the Bulls drew six technical fouls overall while suffering the worst playoff defeat in franchise history.
Miami led 55-41 at halftime and started the third quarter with a 20-6 run to open up a 28-point lead with 4:26 left in the stanza. The lead was 85-56 entering the fourth before things further spiraled out of control for fifth-seeded Chicago.
The Heat scored the first 12 points of the final quarter – the final six of them coming by Allen with 10:12 to play on a three-point play and three technical free throws assessed to Noah (one) and Gibson (two). Miami outscored Chicago 56-18 in the paint and forced 19 turnovers while surpassing a 35-point playoff victory over the Orlando Magic during the first round of the 1997 postseason.
GAME NOTEBOOK: F Luol Deng (illness) and PG Kirk Hinrich (calf) again sat out for the Bulls while there is speculation PG Derrick Rose may consider suiting up for the first time all season when the series returns to Chicago. … James, Wade and PG Mario Chalmers drew technicals for Miami and F Chris Andersen was called for a flagrant 1 foul. … Chicago’s previous worst playoff loss was 26 points – on three occasions.