Times wires
Sunday, May 22, 2011
MIAMI — For the second time in three games, Chris Bosh had a monster night against the Bulls.
Unlike the first, this one paid off with a win.
And the Heat is two victories from its first trip to the NBA Finals since 2006.
Bosh scored 34, LeBron James finished with 22 points and 10 assists, and the Heat remained unbeaten at home in the postseason by beating the Bulls 96-85 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday night.
Dwyane Wade added 17 points and nine rebounds for Miami, which is now 7-0 at home and handed the team that finished with the NBA's best record its first losing streak since Feb. 5-7. Former Gator Udonis Haslem sealed it with a jumper with 1:29 left, putting Miami up 93-84.
Bosh scored 30 in Game 1 against Chicago, when Miami was embarrassed 103-82. The Heat haven't lost since, and only trailed for 3:22 in Game 3. Game 4 is Tuesday in Miami.
"I just wanted to be aggressive and just have some kind of imprint on this series," said Bosh, who's in the conference finals for the first time. "I had an aggressive Game 1, Game 2 was so-so, but we still won. But out here on the home floor I just wanted to be aggressive and it turned out to be a good game."
He was five points shy of his postseason career best.
Carlos Boozer finished with 26 points and 17 rebounds for Chicago, which had won the first four meetings of the season with Miami. Derrick Rose scored 20, but shot 8-for-19 from the field.
The Bulls held James and Wade to a combined 12-for-30 from the floor. Problem was, Bosh finished 13-for-18.
"It's definitely frustrating," Rose said. "Our will wasn't there tonight. They still found a way to win."
Bulls center Joakim Noah, also a former Gator, acknowledged saying "something" toward a fan during the first quarter. Television cameras showed Noah exchanging words with someone near the Bulls bench. Noah appeared to use an obscenity.
"I got caught up," he said. "I don't mean no disrespect to anybody."
Heat 96, Bulls 85
CHICAGO (85): Deng 6-13 0-0 14, Boozer 8-19 10-12 26, Noah 0-4 1-2 1, Rose 8-19 3-3 20, Bogans 1-3 1-2 4, Asik 0-3 0-0 0, Gibson 5-6 1-2 11, Brewer 2-6 0-0 4, Watson 1-2 0-0 2, Korver 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 32-77 16-21 85.
MIAMI (96): James 6-13 9-9 22, Bosh 13-18 8-10 34, Anthony 1-2 1-2 3, Bibby 2-5 0-0 6, Wade 6-17 5-6 17, Haslem 4-7 0-0 8, Miller 0-2 0-0 0, Chalmers 2-3 2-2 6. Totals 34-67 25-29 96.
Chicago 15 25 25 20— 85
Miami 18 25 25 28— 96
3-Point Goals—Chicago 5-12 (Deng 2-5, Korver 1-1, Bogans 1-3, Rose 1-3), Miami 3-9 (Bibby 2-4, James 1-2, Chalmers 0-1, Miller 0-1, Wade 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Chicago 49 (Boozer 17), Miami 38 (Wade 9). Assists—Chicago 15 (Noah 6), Miami 20 (James 10). Total Fouls—Chicago 24, Miami 17. A—20,123.
Un-T-ed: The league rescinded a technical foul on Mavs center Tyson Chandler, ruling that his contact with the Thunder's James Harden in Game 3 was incidental and not unsportsmanlike. Dallas leads the Western Conference series 2-1, with Game 4 tonight.
Lakers search: ESPN analyst and former Cavs coach Mike Brown is among the candidates to replace Phil Jackson as Lakers coach, ESPN.com reported.