JOIN USLeBron James scored 35 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Miami Heat beat the Chicago Bulls 97-93 in a thrilling duel between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference on Sunday.
Chicago’s Derrick Rose, the league’s Most Valuable Player, wound up with 34 points and produced some beautiful basketball but he will regret his failure at the foul line in the final minute.
With the Heat ahead 94-93, Rose, whose elegant play had drawn applause from even the home crowd, missed two free throws only for James to do the same at the other end as the two key protagonists in the game somehow lost their aim when it mattered most.
Rose had gone into the game not having missed a fourth quarter free throw this season, with 26 of 26.
Adding to the theatre, James had taken on the role of defending Rose in the final minutes and did so effectively in what was a fascinating element of the contest. James, who rode to the game on a bicycle to beat traffic disruption caused by the Miami Marathon, scored over 30 points for the third consecutive game and a league-best 11th time this season.
The Heat led through all quarters but the Bulls never let them break away and had the edge at one time in the second half by a point. Miami’s route to victory was helped by James winning a jump-ball after a controversial call from the referees.
The cool head of Bosh was key to what was a repeat of last season’s Eastern Conference championship game. Bosh finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds for Miami but Dwyane Wade, in his second game back after a six-game injury absence, was only four of 16 on shooting as he scored 15 points.
The win was the four consecutive and seventh in eight games for the Heat who are now just one game behind the Bulls in the East.
Results: Miami: 97 bt Chicago: 93; Toronto: 94 bt New Jersey: 73; Indiana: 106; bt Orlando: 85; Cleveland: 88 bt Boston: 87; Dallas: 101 bt (in overtime) San Antonio: 100; LA Lakers: 106 bt Minnesota: 101; Atlanta: 94 bt New Orleans: 72; LA Clippers: 109 bt Denver: 105.