Bulls vs. Heat: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
The Miami crowd gave Dwyane Wade his rightful hero's welcome. Then Wade's Chicago Bulls sent that same crowd home shuffling its feet in despair.
Jimmy Butler scored a team-high 20 points, and Rajon Rondo recorded 16 points and 12 rebounds as the Bulls earned a 98-95 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday night.
Wade, playing in Miami for the first time since leaving in the summer for his hometown Bulls, scored 13. He added seven rebounds and four assists, taking over a distributor role when his shot wasn't working.
The week leading up to his return was filled with speculation about how Wade would be received. His departure was nothing short of acrimonious, with team president Pat Riley choosing to chase starry names in free agency over retaining the franchise's leading scorer.
Wade told reporters all week that his relationship with the organization—save Riley—was just fine, and they remained in communication.
The Heat responded in kind during a touching pregame ceremony, which included a nearly two-minute video recapping his Miami career:
When the opening whistle blew, Wade did not turn the game into a one-man show. He missed his first three shots before getting through on an eight-foot bunny in the first quarter and then continued to lack life in his legs on the second night of a back-to-back.
With that said, Wade did have a couple of moments that got the Miami crowd on its feet and reminded Riley of what he was missing:
Beyond the Wade hubbub, these two teams were desperate to play themselves out of slumps. Both entered having lost four of their last five, with the Heat carrying a two-game losing streak. They played to a tie at the halftime break and then went into the third quarter knotted at 70-70.
The sides battled deep into the fourth quarter and were never separated by more than two possessions. A Robin Lopez layup with 1:52 remaining gave the Bulls a 90-84 lead, but Miami's Josh Richardson hit a three before Justise Winslow drove for a layup to bring the Heat back to within one.
After Butler knocked down a 13-foot jumper with 53 seconds remaining, the Heat failed on two opportunities to tie it. Tyler Johnson clanked a wide-open 25-footer, and Dion Waiters jacked a contested three off an offensive rebound.
Wade and Butler then each knocked down a pair of clutch free throws in the waning seconds to keep Miami at bay.
Lopez finished with 16 points and nine rebounds. Doug McDermott (13 points, four rebounds) and Nikola Mirotic (10 points, five rebounds) each came off the bench and scored in double figures.
The Heat, meanwhile, were spearheaded by a hungry group eager to prove itself. Waiters, the nominal Wade replacement, turned in one of his best performances of the year. After accounting for just six points on 3-of-17 shooting in his last two games, Waiters had 16 while making six of his 15 shot attempts.
Hassan Whiteside continued his stellar start to the season, posting 20 points, 20 rebounds and three blocks. It was Whiteside's sixth double-double in seven games and his best rebounding performance of the year. The 7-footer has grabbed no fewer than 11 rebounds in any game this season, and he's become Miami's two-way fulcrum.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel noted midway through the game how quietly Whiteside can put up big numbers:
Winslow also briefly got out of his concerning shooting slump in the first half, knocking down his first three shots from long distance on his way to a 15-point evening. Winslow struggled in the second half, though he did finish by making half of his 12 shots. The second-year forward can build on his best game of the season from beyond the arc, and the Heat were likely happy he avoided shooting below 30 percent for the fourth straight contest.
Miami is now 1-3 at home heading into Saturday night's game against the Utah Jazz. Having lost Goran Dragic to a sprained ankle in the second half Thursday, the Heat could enter as home underdogs in danger of starting the season 2-6.
The Bulls will get a much-needed day of rest before hosting the Washington Wizards on Saturday.
Postgame Reaction
Wade discussed the atmosphere and his feelings after the game, per Sean Highkin of the Athletic:
Wade also told reporters he does not have an issue with Riley: "There's nothing to squash in my eyes. I've spoken through you guys and he's heard me very loud and clear. I'm just appreciative of Pat and what we created together here in Miami."
Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg also spoke to reporters about Wade: "I can only imagine what he was going through today. A lot of emotions coming back here."
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