NBA: Bulls hold off Bucks to tie series at 1-1

The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks tried to rally from 18 points down but visiting Chicago got an NBA playoff career high 41 points from DeMar DeRozan in a 114-110 triumph that leveled their series at 1-1.

DeRozan, who had a private extra shooting session Tuesday, lifted a Chicago squad that lost all four times this season to Milwaukee and in the playoff opener.

"We came together," DeRozan said. "We had some man to man talks as a team. Everybody has to man up. We just took on the challenge."

Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists in a losing cause.

The Bucks pulled within 112-109 late on a three-point play by Brook Lopez, but DeRozan made a late driving layup and Antetokounmpo had an offensive foul to doom Milwaukee.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Trae Young pours in 39 as Hawks rally past Bulls

Trae Young sank four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished with 39 points to lift the Atlanta Hawks to a 130-124 win over the visiting Chicago Bulls on Thursday.

Young made back-to-back treys in an 11-0 run during the final two minutes to as the Hawks turned a two-point deficit into a 127-118 lead.

Atlanta registered its first victory over Chicago in four tries this season and handed the Bulls their third straight loss overall. The Hawks won for the fourth time in six games.

Young shot 11-for-18 from the floor and 7-for-9 from 3-point range while handing out 13 assists. He scored 16 points in the final quarter. Atlanta's Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 13 of his 20 points in the final quarter.

The Hawks also got 18 points from De'Andre Hunter and 17 points from Kevin Huerter.

Chicago's DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine scored 22 points apiece, while Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 11 rebounds. Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White each scored 15 points.

The Bulls, who average 11.1 3-pointers per game, made seven in the first quarter and nine in the first half. They led by as many as nine points before halftime and were up a 63-56 at the break. Six Chicago players contributed a 3-pointer in the first half, including Vucevic, who led the team with 13 points. Chicago outrebounded Atlanta, 20-13, before halftime.

The Hawks tied the game early in the second half, then went on a 10-2 run to go up 84-76 on Danilo Gallinari's 3-pointer with 4:41 left in the third quarter. Atlanta extended the lead to 10, but the Bulls closed on a 16-4 run and led, 92-90, going into the final quarter.

The Bulls led by as many as nine early in the fourth quarter, but the game was tied twice before Atlanta went ahead to stay on a 3-pointer from Bogdanovic with 1:41 left.

Atlanta played without John Collins, who missed his seventh game with a right foot sprain, and Onyeka Okongwu, who missed the game because of concussion protocol.

Both teams complete a back-to-back on Friday. Atlanta travels to face the Washington Wizarsds, while Chicago returns home to host the Milwaukee Bucks.

-reuters

NBA: Zach LaVine stays hot, leads Bulls past Kings

Zach LaVine scored 38 points and Coby White chipped in 19 to pace six players in double figures as the host Chicago Bulls sent the Sacramento Kings to their sixth straight defeat with a 122-114 victory on Saturday night.

Chicago won for the third time in four games as LaVine shined again, surpassing the 30-point plateau for the seventh time in eight games and 15th time this season. LaVine shot 15-for-20 from the floor to boost the Bulls to a 59.8 percent effort from the field.

Rookie Patrick Williams contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds for his second career double-double, while White drilled five 3-pointers as Chicago went 11-for-23 from distance.

Marvin Bagley III had a double-double of 26 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Kings in the first game of a five-game road trip. Buddy Hield followed with 23 points, and De'Aaron Fox added 20 points and nine assists.

Williams heaved in a 52-footer at the third-quarter buzzer to put the Bulls ahead 95-83. The Kings responded by opening the fourth on a 16-6 run, closing to within 101-99 on a Bagley layup with 8:00 to go.

Effectiveness from long range helped Chicago regain control in short order, as Garrett Temple and White drilled treys as part of an 8-2 run over the next 2:04.

Playing without starters Harrison Barnes (strained left foot) and Richaun Holmes (right knee soreness), as well as top reserve Glenn Robinson III (knee), the Kings struggled to build scoring and rebounding depth.

Thaddeus Young (18 points), Temple (14) and Tomas Satoransky (10) rounded out a balanced Bulls attack.

Tyrese Haliburton (16 points) and Hassan Whiteside (12) also were in double figures for the Kings.

Inactive for much of the season, former Bull and Chicago high school product Jabari Parker made his 2020-21 debut for the Kings.

Chicago scored 40 points in the paint in the first half en route to a season-high 66 to take a 68-58 lead into the break. The Bulls shot 62.8 percent in the first 24 minutes compared to 48.9 percent for the Kings, and led by as many as 14.

The Bulls avenged a 128-124 road loss to Sacramento on Jan. 6 while snapping a two-game losing streak in the series.

-reuters

Zach LaVine carries Chicago Bulls past Washington Wizards

WASHINGTON — Chicago Bulls coach Jim Boylen knows that Zach LaVine can’t play as much he’d like due to a recent ankle injury.

But LaVine made the most of his 29 minutes on Friday night, scoring 19 points in the second half, including 11 straight in the third quarter, in the Bulls’ 101-92 victory over the Washington Wizards.

LaVine, who finished with 24 points, shot just three times in the first half, and turned aggressive in the second half, hitting three 3-pointers in a 2:45 stretch of the third quarter.

“He didn’t panic, he wasn’t flustered and the game turned for him,” Boylen said. “He gave it to us the second half.”

Wendell Carter, Jr. had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Lauri Markkanen added 14 points and 14 rebounds for Chicago, which scored 100 points for just the second time in 10 games.


The Bulls have won three of four and are 5-7 since Boylen replaced Fred Hoiberg on Dec. 4.

Bradley Beal led Washington with 34 points.

The Wizards played without John Wall, who was sidelined with a sore left heel. Washington coach Scott Brooks said that he found out during the morning shootaround that Wall would be unable to play, and said he would see a specialist.

The Wizards fell to 13-23. They’ve dropped nine of 11.

Beal remains convinced that Washington can turn the season around, and he refuses to believe that with the team 10 games below .500, the season is too far gone.


“I’ll never say that,” Beal said. “I’ll never think it. I’ll never believe it. My main objective is to make sure we get out of the hole and we will.”

LAVINE TURNS IT ON

Not only did LaVine score 11 straight in the third quarter, but he secured the game with 33 seconds left with a three-point play.

“We took the game over,” LaVine said. “We made some big stops. I think the main thing is that we’re learning how to win.”

PLAYING TOGETHER

LaVine, Markkanen and Kris Dunn started together for the first time this season.

“We talked about it and I feel like we just got to keep working on doing our stuff and we’ll get better,” Markkanen said.

STRANGE LINEUPS

Four of the nine players Brooks used are in their first month with the team. They are forwards Trevor Ariza and Sam Dekker and guards Ron Baker and Chasson Randle.

“You’re going to have some funky lineups,” Brooks said. “There are going to be some strange lineups until some people get back.”

TIP-INS

Bulls: G Brandon Sampson, who was signed to a two-way contract on Thursday, did not travel with the team. . F Bobby Portis was out for his fourth consecutive game with a sprained right ankle. When he suffered the injury, the team said he’d be out one-to-three weeks. Coach Jim Boylen said that he wouldn’t guess on a return. “We’re not going to rush him,” Boylen said. “Knowing Bobby he’ll be rushing himself.”

Wizards: Wall missed his fourth game of the season. He was in the locker room before the game, but did not comment on his condition. . F Otto Porter missed his ninth straight game with a bruised right knee. Brooks said he was getting closer to a return. . F Markieff Morris was out with a neck injury.

UP NEXT:

Bulls: Visit the Raptors on Sunday

Wizards: Host the Hornets on Saturday in their only back-to-back home games of the season.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Harden, Rockets trounce Bulls

HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets aren’t where they want to be, but are feeling much better after following a season-high four game skid with consecutive wins, capped by Saturday night’s victory over the Chicago Bulls.

James Harden made six 3-pointers and scored 30 points to help the Rockets down the Bulls 121-105.

The victory comes a night after the Rockets ended their losing streak with a win 136-105 win at San Antonio.

Now coach Mike D’Antoni is looking for his team to maintain this momentum on its upcoming three-game road trip.

“We need to go show everybody who we need to be,” D’Antoni said. “We may not be there yet but we’re getting there … we just need to go get some wins.”

Harden said health is the biggest reason why Houston has played better recently.

“It’s just having a full roster,” he said. “Chris (Paul), Gerald (Green) and Nene coming back in these last few games. Having a full roster and guys that can help each other out is key.”

Houston was up by 12 entering the fourth quarter and used a 13-7 run to start the period and make it 100-82 with 8½ minutes left. Eric Gordon made two 3-pointers in that stretch and P.J. Tucker added a three-point play. Chicago couldn’t cut into the lead after that and the Rockets were up by 20 with about three minutes left when D’Antoni cleared the bench.

Zach LaVine had 29 points for the Bulls, who lost their sixth straight game and for the 10th time in 11 games.

Chicago’s Lauri Markkanen had 10 points and four rebounds in his season debut after missing the team’s first 23 games with a sprained right elbow he sustained in training camp. He entered the game with about 4½ minutes left in the first quarter and played 26 minutes.

“I felt good and I had no problems with my elbow,” he said. “That’s a positive. I was just glad to be out there.”


Clint Capela added 18 points and 15 rebounds for Houston and Paul had 12 points and tied a season high with 13 assists in his second game back after missing three with a sore hamstring.

Houston led by 10 at halftime before the Bulls used a 12-6 run to open the third quarter and cut the lead to four. Parker led Chicago in that stretch, scoring eight points.

The Rockets got back on track after that, scoring the next five points to push the lead to 67-58 with about seven minutes left in the third.

“Coming out of the break, I thought we had great momentum in the second half, and they throw in a couple of bombs,” Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We have to keep fighting and work on being more consistent.”

Houston led by eight later in the third when Harden made a 3-pointer just before the shot clock expired to make it 74-63 with 4½ minutes left in the quarter.

The Bulls added a layup seconds after that, but Houston scored the next six points, capped by a 3 from Harden with Jabari Parker in his face to make it 80-65 about 90 seconds later.

LaVine scored all of Chicago’s points in a 7-2 run later in the third to cut the deficit, but Green made a 3-pointer with a few seconds left in the quarter to put Houston up 87-75 entering the fourth.

TIP-INS

Bulls: Hoiberg said that he will limit Markkanen’s minutes in his first games back. … LaVine has scored at least 20 points in 20 games this season. … Justin Holiday, who had 11 points, has made at least one 3-pointer in a franchise-record 35 straight games. … Parker finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Rockets: Nene had 10 points and four rebounds in his season debut after missing Houston’s first 21 games with a strained right calf. … Harden has scored 30 points or more in six of the last eight games.

REMEMBERING BUSH

The Rockets played a video before the game and had a moment of silence for former President George H.W. Bush, who died on Friday night in Houston at 94. The video featured images of Bush sitting courtside at several games and posing for pictures with various former players and coaches.

UP NEXT

Bulls: Visit Indiana on Tuesday night.

Rockets: Visit Minnesota on Monday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Parker looks to get career back on track with hometown Bulls

CHICAGO — Jabari Parker recalled playing on the court with the Chicago Bulls’ logo as a young child.

It was at the James Jordan Boys and Girls Club where his dad was a supervisor and not the nearby United Center. But it sure felt big time to him.

“It was like our United Center, that gym,” he said.

Now, the United Center is his home arena.

Parker agreed Saturday to a $40 million, two-year contract with the Bulls, hoping he can get his promising career back on track after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee two times in four seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks.

“No better way to live a dream as a kid than playing down the street from where I grew up — the James Jordan Boys and Girls Club,” Parker said Wednesday.

The son of a former NBA player, Parker seemed destined for big things. He led Simeon Career Academy on Chicago’s South Side to four state championships, graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, and when he committed to Duke, the announcement was televised nationally. A year later, the Bucks drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick, thinking he would help lead them to prominence in the Eastern Conference. But it didn’t quite work out that way.

Parker tore his ACL for the first time just 25 games into his rookie season. He was having his best year in 2016-17, averaging 20.1 point and 6.2 rebounds, when he tore the ACL again that February. Parker played in 31 games last year, averaging 12.6 points and 4.9 rebounds.

Now, instead of playing in a dynamic combo with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the rest of the Bucks, Parker will try to help a rebuilding team. The Bulls see a talented and versatile 23-year-old who could give them a big boost, assuming he stays healthy.

“We’re looking at it as a great opportunity for our basketball team to improve, for Jabari to be a part of this,” executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson said.

With his ability to score inside and outside, Parker could give the Bulls another potent option to go with Lauri Markkanen and Zach LaVine in coach Fred Hoiberg’s pace-and-space system.

Defense could be an issue, particularly when Parker and LaVine are on the court together. But Hoiberg sees them fitting in “very well” because of their athleticism in a system that emphasizes more switching.

Parker insisted he can play at the level he did prior to his second ACL tear, saying he “pretty much” showed it last season, and that the setbacks he has experienced will make him a better player.

He also said he plans to reach out to former Bulls star and fellow Simeon product Derrick Rose about suiting up for the hometown team. He jumped to the defense of his fellow South Sider, who went from No. 1 pick to Rookie of the Year to All-Star to MVP before knee injuries derailed his run in Chicago.

“Derrick had no lows,” Parker said. “He didn’t. Because he still maintained. Derrick is a legend, no matter what. I don’t like how you explained that. No rise and falls. Injuries are a part of life. Everybody has an injury, either athletics or normal life. Derrick is one of the best players to ever play the game and one of the best icons of Chicago. He accomplished his duty already.”

Parker spoke near the Michael Jordan statue in the concourse of the United Center. And while he certainly understands what arguably the greatest NBA player ever meant to the franchise and the city, he was just born when the Bulls launched their second three-peat.

Parker has a strong link to Rose, from starring at Simeon to experiencing knee injuries and now playing for the home team. If he does re-establish himself with the Bulls, it would be something Rose never really was able to do once he tore the ACL in his left knee during the 2012 playoff opener against Philadelphia.

For Parker and his family, it was quite a moment. His mom, Lola Parker, was thrilled Jabari mentioned he wants to work with the Chicago Public Schools during the news conference.

“I’m excited,” she said. “I’m proud that Jabari hasn’t forgotten where he’s from. We haven’t sold our house. We always kept it because we’re always in and out. It’s pretty exciting for us.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Nets hit 24 3s, 1 shy of NBA record, in rout of Bulls

CHICAGO — Quincy Acy is often an emotional leader for the Brooklyn Nets.
On a record night against the Bulls, he led them on the scoresheet, too.

Acy helped the Nets set a franchise mark with 24 3-pointers in a 124-96 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

The Nets finished one 3-pointer shy of the NBA record set last season by Cleveland.

Acy had career highs with six 3-pointers and 21 points, and Allen Crabbe added five from behind the arc and 20 points.

“When we’re hot, I feel like we can run with anybody in the gym,” Acy said. “And tonight, we got hot.”

Acy’s season has been hot and cold following offseason ankle surgery, but he looked plenty comfortable letting it fly Saturday. He took 13 of his 14 shots from deep.

“He’s our bench leader, a great guy,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I think he hasn’t been fully healthy and he’s played through a lot.”

Brooklyn got its fourth road win in its last five games. It was Brooklyn’s second straight victory over the Bulls, something the Nets haven’t done since February 2008. The win clinched the season series for the first time since 2009-10.

The Nets had a season-high 36 assists, led by nine from Spencer Dinwiddie and eight from Caris LeVert, both off the bench.

“(The shooting) comes from our thrust at the rim and how we get there, and how we set the defense after that, and made good passes,” Atkinson said.

Sean Kilpatrick led Chicago with 20 points, and Bobby Portis had 18 points and eight rebounds.

“Tonight was obviously a debacle,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We were stuck in mud from the beginning of that game.”
Portis scored 13 points in the first quarter to help erase an early 16-7 Nets lead.

In the second quarter, baskets by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson bookended a 14-1 run for the Nets which opened a 61-47 lead with 1:11 left until halftime.

Crabbe knocked down four of the Nets’ nine 3-pointers in the third as Brooklyn pushed the lead past 20 points, cruising the rest of the way.

“It’s pretty tough, man,” Portis said of defending Brooklyn. “It’s like playing the Rockets. They shoot a lot of 3s. They shoot a lot of contested shots. That’s what their coach preaches.”

Brooklyn made 19 3-pointers Thursday in a win against Milwaukee. Its previous season high was 21 in a Feb. 10 loss to New Orleans.
Joe Harris made four 3-pointers and scored 16 points for the Nets, who were 24 for 55 from deep.

TIP-INS
Nets: F Dante Cunningham (back spasms) returned after missing Thursday’s win against Milwaukee. … F DeMarre Carroll (left hip) and C Jahlil Okafor (right ankle) were held out for the second straight game, although Atkinson said Okafor was available to play.
Bulls: Rookie F Lauri Markkanen was held out of the game as he has not been playing back-to-back games recently due to back and elbow injuries. Markkanen scored 20 points in 23 minutes in Friday’s loss to Boston, his third consecutive game with at least 20 points, all of which were achieved in 25 minutes or less. … F Noah Vonleh (calf strain) missed his second straight game and C Robin Lopez (rest) was held out of his third straight game.

DRAFT DRAMA
The teams are both 27-53 with two games remaining and will meet again Monday in Brooklyn in another crucial game for draft positioning.
The Nets’ first-round pick is owned by Cleveland after being moved via Boston in the Kyrie Irving trade last August.

DEEP THREATS
Brooklyn’s 24 3-pointers pushed them over 1,000 for the season, ending the game with a franchise record 1,012.
The previous season high was 877 last year.
The Nets trail only Houston for 3-pointers made league-wide. The Rockets entered Saturday with an NBA-record 1,213.
It was Brooklyn’s 15th straight game with double-digit 3-pointers made, setting a franchise record.

LOYOLA LAUDED
The Loyola men’s basketball team was honored at the game after their surprising recent Final Four run in the NCAA Tournament.
Former Ramblers star Milton Doyle, a Nets rookie from Chicago, proudly watch his team make the run as an 11-seed.
“It was just like watching my family, enjoying all the success,” Doyle said. “It was great seeing everything that was going on and them getting all the praises and all the shout-outs from the big stars.”

SEAN STREAKING
Kilpatrick had at least 20 points for the third straight game, matching the longest streak of his career. He has scored double digits in six of the seven games he has played for Chicago since signing on March 26.

UP NEXT
Nets: The teams will meet again Monday in Brooklyn, then the Nets will close the season Wednesday in Boston.
Bulls: After Monday’s rematch, the Bulls will close their season Wednesday against visiting Detroit.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Pacers pound Derrick Rose-less Bulls

CHICAGO — Solomon Hill tallied 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 99-90 win over the Chicago Bulls, who were once again without injury-plagued star Derrick Rose.

AJ Price came off the bench to score 21 points while Luis Scola finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers, who have won three of their last four National Basketball Association games on the heels of a six-game losing streak.

“We’ve got some tough-minded guys in there,” said Pacers coach Frank Vogel. “To get wins in Miami and Chicago, I couldn’t be more proud of our guys.”

Jimmy Butler tallied 30 points and six rebounds for Chicago, whose brief two-game winning streak snapped in front of the 22.248-strong crowd at United Center arena.

Rose missed the game after tweaking his hamstring during Thursday’s win in Toronto. He has missed five contests of the young season so far due to ankle and hamstring issues.

But the Bulls could have used Rose, who has expressed a desire take more time off during the regular season.

Rose has drawn criticism from former players like Charles Barkley who said playing through aches and pains is part of being a multi-millionaire NBA player.

“There are people that work harder than Derrick Rose that go home to a shack,” Barkley said.

“Derrick Rose is making $20 million dollars a year … there are pros and cons of what we do for a living.”

Chicago dropped to 3-2 without Rose in the lineup this season.

The Pacers led 23-20 heading into the second quarter and 46-42 at halftime.

Pau Gasol hit two free throws to cut the Pacers lead to two, 67-65, late in the third, before the Pacers went on an 8-0 surge that stretched into the fourth quarter.

Hill’s layup gave Indiana a 69-65 lead heading into the final frame, and he hit another from beyond the arc to start the fourth. Price’s three-pointer capped it and increased the lead to 75-65.

An Aaron Brooks field goal and a pair of free throws from Butler got Chicago back to within 77-71 with just over nine minutes in regulation. But Indiana responded by ripping off 11 consecutive points to help ice the contest.

Price netted seven points and hit two triples during the run, including one to finish it off and give the Pacers a 17-point lead.

Indiana cruised the rest of the way.

source: sports.inquirer.net

James rediscovers touch to lead Cavs over Bulls in OT

CHICAGO — LeBron James bounced back from a sub-par performance in his Cleveland homecoming the night before to score 36 points as the Cavaliers defeated Chicago 114-108 in overtime on Friday.

Thursday’s loss to the New York Knicks surely wasn’t the season-opener James was hoping for but that was all forgotten Friday at the United Center as the four-time most valuable player also had eight rebounds in the Cavaliers’ first win of the young NBA season.

It was a far cry from his 17 points, eight turnovers against the Knicks. That marked the first time in his career that he had at least eight turnovers, fewer than 20 points and fewer than five assists.

James was also much more active with the ball against the Bulls, driving 18 times to the basket compared to just four drives on Thursday.

Tristan Thompson finished with 16 points with 13 rebounds and Kevin Love had a 16-point, 16-rebound double-double for Cleveland, who were 2-8 over their last 10 in Chicago. Thompson had a dozen offensive rebounds.

Kyrie Irving had 23 points in the win.

Derrick Rose and Kirk Hinrich each scored 20 points for the Bulls, but Rose left the game late in the third with a sprained left ankle and did not return.

Pau Gasol scored 15 points with nine boards and Mike Dunleavy added 14 points on Friday for the Bulls who opened their season with a 104-80 win over the Knicks on Wednesday.

The fact that Rose couldn’t finish the contest is especially troubling for Chicago as the former MVP has played less than a dozen regular season games in the past two seasons.

Chicago had to play without rising star Jimmy Butler who missed his second straight game to begin the season with a thumb injury.

source: sports.inquirer.net

With Rose blooming, Bulls open season with emphatic win

NEW YORK — The Chicago Bulls welcomed former NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose back from injury Wednesday with a convincing 104-80 win over the New York Knicks.

The return of Rose and the addition of Spanish veteran Pau Gasol have branded the Bulls as Eastern Conference contenders in 2014-15, and they looked the part at Madison Square Garden.

“I wouldn’t say my rust is knocked off, but it’s getting there,” said Rose, who missed the final 71 games of last season with a torn meniscus after missing all of the previous campaign recovering from a torn knee ligament.

“I can’t be content with how I’m performing,” he added. “I have to put it behind me whether it’s good or bad and make sure I stay consistent with my workouts. Physically, I feel good.”

Both Rose and Gasol made key contributions. Rose — the 2011 NBA MVP — scored 13 points with five assists in his long awaited regular-season return and off-season acquisition Gasol putting up 21 points with 11 rebounds.

Taj Gibson scored 22 points in 28 minutes off the bench for the Bulls, who connected on better than 50 percent of their shots from the field and effectively smothered the Knicks offense.

In all the Bulls received 55 points from their reserves, with Aaron Brooks netting 13 and 2014 first-round draft pick Doug McDermott scoring 12 in his NBA debut.

For New York, it was a disappointing start to the head coaching tenure of Derek Fisher, the former player drafted to implement the Phil Jackson triangle offense.

Carmelo Anthony was held to 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting and the Knicks finished a lackluster 3-for-17 from three-point range.

Amare Stoudemire was New York’s only other player to score in double figures, with 12 points to go with his eight rebounds.

Rose acknowledged he was eager to get back on an NBA court for the first time since surgery last November, but said he wasn’t harboring any unrealistic expectations for himself.

“It’s still going to take some time,” he said. “I’m not worried about that. I might have some bad games here and there. But that’s not going to stop me from trying to be aggressive.”

Heat sizzle without James

The second night of the season saw Miami open their post-LeBron James era with a bang as Chris Bosh scored 26 points and 15 rebounds in the Heat’s 107-95 victory over Washington.

Bosh, who saw his numbers dwindle in each of the four seasons that superstar James played for the Heat, inked a five-year $118 million deal in the offseason to stay in Miami, while James opted to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers in his home state of Ohio.

Turns out the Heat, who won two titles in four trips to the NBA finals in James’ four years in Miami, didn’t need “King James” to put on a show.

Dwyane Wade scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter while Norris Cole added 23 and off-season acquisition Luol Deng of Britain scored 12 in his Miami debut.

James, meanwhile, will launch his second stint in Cleveland on Thursday, when the Cavaliers open their season hosting the Knicks.

source: sports.inquirer.net