Norman Powell scored 21 points and Bam Adebayo added 20 points with 12 rebounds as the Miami Heat held on for a 116-113 win over the Chicago Bulls at United Center on Thursday, January 30.
The Heat led by 13 in the fourth quarter and were up 104-92 with 8:02 remaining, but the Bulls mounted a late rally, outscoring Miami 21-12 over the final eight minutes.
Ayo Dosunmu led Chicago with 23 points, including two layups and a three-pointer to cut the deficit to three with 2:05 left, keeping the game tense down the stretch.
After a Powell layup, Nikola Vucevic made a turnaround hook shot to bring the Bulls within three, 112-109, with 54 seconds left.
Both teams traded free throws in the final seconds, but Pelle Larsson’s dunk with two seconds remaining sealed the three-point win for Miami, as Coby White missed a potential game-tying three.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. contributed 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, while Larsson finished with 15 points, helping Miami maintain its composure during Chicago’s late push.
Vucevic recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds, Matas Buzelis added 16 points, Kevin Huerter scored 15, and White had 14 points for the Bulls in a losing effort.
Miami improved to 26-23 with the victory, strengthening its hold on the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, while Chicago drops to 23-25, tied for 10th in the standings.
The two teams meet again on Saturday in Miami for the second of three consecutive games, continuing their tight matchup series.
