Sports Update Monday: Heat Lose Three Straight Trying To Gain Ground on Slumping Pacers
It was the perfect play for LeBron James to win a game at the buzzer — one-on-one, driving to the basket against a smaller defender, Joakim Noah nowhere near the play. But this time the locomotive skidded off the tracks. This time that unstoppable force of athletic greatness never made it to the rim. This time Bulls defender Jimmy Butler made the perfect defensive play, stripping the back-to-back MVP of the basketball in mid-flight to force an overtime period the Bulls dominated on their home court at United Center.
The Heat’s 95-88 loss in Chicago ended a disastrous three-game road trip that featured loss after loss after loss. “I dropped the ball,” James said. “That’s a double-entendre, right? A actually dropped the ball, but I also dropped the ball on my team.” Literary devices aside, the Heat also dropped another opportunity to move closer to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. The three-game losing streak coincided with a four-game losing streak by the East-leading Indiana Pacers.
In his first full game without his protective mask since strapping it on Feb. 27, James finished with 17 points and went 8 of 23 from the field. He went 1 of 3 from the three-point line and didn’t attempt a free throw. It was the first time James has not attempted a free throw in a game since Dec. 2, 2009, against the Phoenix Suns.
The Heat blew a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter and, amazingly, allowed 14 second-chance points in the fourth quarter and overtime. Despite all that, the Heat had a chance to win the game at the end of regulation. “I had it,” James said. “And it was a great play, and give a lot of credit to Jimmy — he got his hand on the ball — but I had the lane, and I had the layup. “I don’t know. I messed up on my scouting report. I knew if I brought the ball back to my left side, then he would strip it, too, and I went in and brought it over a little too far and he was able to get a hand on it.”
Things then fell apart for the Heat in overtime. A three-pointer by D.J. Augustin to begin overtime gave the Bulls a three-point lead, and then a key offensive rebound and jumper by Butler extended Chicago’s lead to 91-86 with 2:25 to play. Butler finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and four steals.
A sloppy pass by Dwyane Wade gifted the Bulls another possession and an offensive rebound and put-back by Noah over Chris Andersen with 1:53 left put the Bulls ahead 93-86. Noah then swatted away a layup attempt by Mario Chalmers on the other end and the celebrating began.