Chicago Bulls point guard Alex Caruso (6) fouls Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Chicago . (AP Photo/David Banks)
CHICAGO — Bam Adebayo scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls 118-100 on Monday night, two nights after blowing a 21-point lead in the same building.
“We also set the tone in our last game, we just relaxed a little bit, so I’m glad we didn’t do that,” said Jimmy Butler, who rested on the bench for the entire fourth quarter. “I love it. Let my teammates be great. They can have all the minutes and I’ll sit back, relax and enjoy the show.”
Butler scored 16 points against his former team.
The hook from heaven, Jimmy?? 🤧 pic.twitter.com/zb20QuiApn
– Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 21, 2023
The Heat have now won eight of their last nine games after a 1-4 start to the season. Miami made a season-high 17 of 35 3-point attempts from the field, despite sharpshooter Tyler Herro missing his sixth consecutive game with a sprained right ankle.
“Sometimes you have an opportunity to improve after tough losses,” Heat coach Erik Spolestra said. “We were all very disappointed with how the fourth quarter went the other night. We felt like we were in control for most of the game and ended up losing the game. It can humiliate you.”
For the fourth game in a row, the Bulls faced a huge deficit in front of their home fans, falling behind 12-2 less than three minutes after Duncan Robinson made two early 3-pointers. Robinson scored 11 of his 22 points in the first quarter and has made at least one 3-pointer in every game this season.
What sequence of events pic.twitter.com/4fCx3aOW95
– Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 21, 2023
“Duncan, when he cuts, he’s cutting and finishing well at the rim,” Butler said. “He’s throwing lobs, he’s making layups. He’s making the right passes, he’s handling the pick-and-roll. He’s so comfortable, so confident, just like everyone else around here.”
Coby White led the Bulls with a season-high 20 points, including four 3-pointers. Nikola Vucevic scored 18 points and DeMar DeRozan added 15.
Zach LaVine was limited to a season-low 13 points on nine field goal attempts. Alex Caruso also finished with 13 points, along with a block and a steal. For defensive end Caruso, six straight double-digit scoring games is the longest streak of his career.
“We’re not down 20-1 in this game,” LaVine said, referring to the Bulls’ early deficit on Saturday night. “So that’s positive.”
Show the tower some love! 🖐 pic.twitter.com/JfqbhkwxF7
– Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) November 21, 2023
Rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 19 points, while Kevin Love added 11 points with eight rebounds for a Heat bench unit that combined for 42 points, compared to just 21 for the Bulls reserves.
“It’s great to see how well Rook is playing,” Love said of Jaquez, also a UCLA product. “He was the guy I watched more than anyone in his years at UCLA. I was watching him, I loved his game. I’m really happy to be on the right side of those dunks. He’s working really hard.”
NEXT
Heat: Visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
Bulls: Begin a four-game road trip against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
