Damn
~Miami Heat 2014-2015 Official Thread - Reload not Rebuild~
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Damn
Meh... They treated it like an exhibition game & phoned it in towards the end. Trying to save something in the tank for the Christmas game. Not the first time.
Supposed powerhouse teams with losing records shouldn't be phoning in a damn thing... if that had the remotest possibility to be true, then they are more fucked up than anyone could imagine...
Supposed powerhouse teams with losing records shouldn't be phoning in a damn thing... if that had the remotest possibility to be true, then they are more fucked up than anyone could imagine...
Who said Miami was a power house? Bron left
Or u just making shit up?
Miami record is actually very good considering the injuries.
The heat have player 29 games and Wade has missed 10 Bosh has missed 7, McRoberts 15 and Grainger 16.
So the Miami heat has never played with an entire line up all season. When they did they were very good.
The heat have player 29 games and Wade has missed 10 Bosh has missed 7, McRoberts 15 and Grainger 16.
So the Miami heat has never played with an entire line up all season. When they did they were very good.
It's Christmas eve Bruh, I don't want to get in the mix with you today! Holly Jolly my Nigga!!
For real though, there was a LOT of chatter on the board about how the Heat was gonna surprise a lot of people this season, how Bosh was gonna show Niggas he's still da Man and was gonna be an MVP candidate, a lot of yall Dudes pulled out the dancing gif when y'all signed McRob, Deng and Granger, talking about how the team was going to be better and more balanced without LeBron now, and a lot of Heat fans were eHigh fiving each other celebrating D Wades abs in his instagram pictures and stuff...
So there was a LOT of chatter on the board bruh for real...
For real though, there was a LOT of chatter on the board about how the Heat was gonna surprise a lot of people this season, how Bosh was gonna show Niggas he's still da Man and was gonna be an MVP candidate, a lot of yall Dudes pulled out the dancing gif when y'all signed McRob, Deng and Granger, talking about how the team was going to be better and more balanced without LeBron now, and a lot of Heat fans were eHigh fiving each other celebrating D Wades abs in his instagram pictures and stuff...
So there was a LOT of chatter on the board bruh for real...
Heat in the east that's automatic playoff spot
Bosh avg a double double, wade avg 22 on over 50% FG. I ain't worried bout those dudes it's the others that have to step up
The pleas have been copped before Christmas
All jokes aside, I feel you. Looking at last nights game, no matter how much shape he's in, D Wade cannot carry a team by himself anymore. on paper, Bosh is definitely top 4 talent in the east, but now, injuries, etc is gonna play a part. That's the biggest problem with how the Heat are made up, its a roll of the dice with damn near everyone outside of bosh. Unfortunately you weren't able to land a decent guard in the off season, because Rio and Cole won't cut it at this point, and Granger is seriously fucking up a roster spot.
My squad sucks, but I definitely like the approach we are using, got some quality young pieces already, the most picks in league history believe and boatloads of cap space...
Bosh's contract might come back to haunt y'all in the long run too...
Told niggas
Fuck the Heat..... 
Grizzlies-Heat Preview
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The Memphis Grizzlies have lost as many games in the last seven days as they did through the first seven weeks of the season, and coach Dave Joerger blames it on defense.
It also might have something to do with the absence of Zach Randolph.
The veteran big man could miss a fourth straight game as Memphis looks to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat when it visits the Miami Heat on Saturday night.
The Grizzlies (21-8) won 21 of their first 25 before their current slide began with a 103-97 loss to Chicago on Dec. 19 in which Randolph sat out the entire fourth quarter after suffering a knee injury late in the third.
Memphis has felt the effects of his absence, getting outrebounded by a combined margin of 25 over its last two contests. The latest setback was Friday's 117-111 overtime loss to Houston, which hauled in 54 rebounds.
"(We're missing his) rebounding, his scoring and his leadership out there," said Courtney Lee, who shot 1 of 6 and scored four points. "Hopefully we'll see him out there soon. We've got to focus on Miami. Once we get that win, I think we'll get off on another (winning) streak."
Marc Gasol scored 29 points and is averaging 25.3 since Randolph went down. Joerger, though, is more concerned with the Grizzlies allowing their last three opponents to shoot a combined 50 percent after holding teams to 43.8 prior to that stretch.
Defensive specialist Tony Allen returned Friday after missing four games with a right corneal abrasion.
"We're not guarding, and we're going to see another talented team (Saturday) that's offensively potent," Joerger said. "We've got to defend. They're sitting there waiting for us and they're probably confident after a big win."
The Heat (14-16) are coming off a 101-91 victory over Cleveland on Christmas Day in LeBron James' return to Miami. However, they're also dealing with the absence of a quality big man with Chris Bosh missing the last seven games with a calf injury.
Miami's plan has been to give Bosh a full day of practice before he returns, but coach Erik Spoelstra gave the team an off day Friday. Still, there's hope Bosh feels comfortable enough to return for this contest or Monday against Orlando when the Heat complete a seven-game homestand.
Dwyane Wade had 31 points against the Cavaliers -- his exact average over his last four -- and Luol Deng added 25 while shooting 11 of 16 for the Heat, who are 3-4 without Bosh.
"I've been more involved with the offense," Deng, who signed a two-year deal in the offseason, told the Heat's official website. "We weren't going to figure it out right away. And I think we're going to keep figuring it out as we go along, even when Bosh comes back."
Deng has had his share of solid efforts, but he's also had plenty of off nights while trying to find some consistency within the offense.
"He's learning our system (and) we're learning how best to incorporate him," Spoelstra said. "He's a very unique player. I think we're getting progressively better as the season goes along."
Wade had 25 points and Deng added 13 against the Grizzlies on Dec. 7, but the Heat fell 103-87 in Memphis. Jon Leuer had season highs of 20 points and 12 rebounds as the Grizzlies shot a season-best 58.9 percent.
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The Memphis Grizzlies have lost as many games in the last seven days as they did through the first seven weeks of the season, and coach Dave Joerger blames it on defense.
It also might have something to do with the absence of Zach Randolph.
The veteran big man could miss a fourth straight game as Memphis looks to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat when it visits the Miami Heat on Saturday night.
The Grizzlies (21-8) won 21 of their first 25 before their current slide began with a 103-97 loss to Chicago on Dec. 19 in which Randolph sat out the entire fourth quarter after suffering a knee injury late in the third.
Memphis has felt the effects of his absence, getting outrebounded by a combined margin of 25 over its last two contests. The latest setback was Friday's 117-111 overtime loss to Houston, which hauled in 54 rebounds.
"(We're missing his) rebounding, his scoring and his leadership out there," said Courtney Lee, who shot 1 of 6 and scored four points. "Hopefully we'll see him out there soon. We've got to focus on Miami. Once we get that win, I think we'll get off on another (winning) streak."
Marc Gasol scored 29 points and is averaging 25.3 since Randolph went down. Joerger, though, is more concerned with the Grizzlies allowing their last three opponents to shoot a combined 50 percent after holding teams to 43.8 prior to that stretch.
Defensive specialist Tony Allen returned Friday after missing four games with a right corneal abrasion.
"We're not guarding, and we're going to see another talented team (Saturday) that's offensively potent," Joerger said. "We've got to defend. They're sitting there waiting for us and they're probably confident after a big win."
The Heat (14-16) are coming off a 101-91 victory over Cleveland on Christmas Day in LeBron James' return to Miami. However, they're also dealing with the absence of a quality big man with Chris Bosh missing the last seven games with a calf injury.
Miami's plan has been to give Bosh a full day of practice before he returns, but coach Erik Spoelstra gave the team an off day Friday. Still, there's hope Bosh feels comfortable enough to return for this contest or Monday against Orlando when the Heat complete a seven-game homestand.
Dwyane Wade had 31 points against the Cavaliers -- his exact average over his last four -- and Luol Deng added 25 while shooting 11 of 16 for the Heat, who are 3-4 without Bosh.
"I've been more involved with the offense," Deng, who signed a two-year deal in the offseason, told the Heat's official website. "We weren't going to figure it out right away. And I think we're going to keep figuring it out as we go along, even when Bosh comes back."
Deng has had his share of solid efforts, but he's also had plenty of off nights while trying to find some consistency within the offense.
"He's learning our system (and) we're learning how best to incorporate him," Spoelstra said. "He's a very unique player. I think we're getting progressively better as the season goes along."
Wade had 25 points and Deng added 13 against the Grizzlies on Dec. 7, but the Heat fell 103-87 in Memphis. Jon Leuer had season highs of 20 points and 12 rebounds as the Grizzlies shot a season-best 58.9 percent.
Bosh still ain't putting up those Wilt numbers. Heat 15-21.... 
Heats 1-4 with Bosh and Wade playing in the last 5 games. 19 and 6 since he came back. At least stuff those stats if you losing.....
Heats 1-4 with Bosh and Wade playing in the last 5 games. 19 and 6 since he came back. At least stuff those stats if you losing.....
Bosh still ain't putting up those Wilt numbers. Heat 15-21....
Ironic coming from you...
You clowns 19-17 about to be 19-18.. Now go watch Curry skate on you niggas
Cavs will be fine.
I thought you had a 50-win team down there. Told you Bosh wasn't leading that team to shit.....
Gene go camp out in the Cavs thread bro, leave Bosh alone
Can't....this shit is too funny....
Wasn't this team just in the championship series last year?
Heat-Warriors Preview
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When the Golden State Warriors won a franchise-best 15 straight home games in 1989-90, they did so while allowing 115.2 points per game.
They went 37-45, finished fifth in the Pacific Division and missed the playoffs because they were one of the worst defensive teams the NBA has seen in the last 30 years.
This season's club has been undeniably more well-rounded. The Warriors will try to again display the balance that's made them the best team in basketball Wednesday night as they attempt to match that home mark against the Miami Heat, who could be without Dwyane Wade.
Golden State (30-5) pushed its overall win streak to seven with Tuesday's 116-105 victory in Utah. The win marked a franchise-best seventh consecutive victory by double figures and didn't take much out of the team as it enters a busy stretch.
"First game of four in five nights, and nobody played 30 minutes," coach Steve Kerr said. "We got a tough game tomorrow and then another road trip for two more, so tonight was really about being able to play everybody, and to be able to do that and have an offensive game like that ... it's a great sign."
The overall streak has featured a 3-point mark of 43.6 percent and a winning margin of 20.6 points with their vaunted starting backcourt shooting better than normal.
Stephen Curry had 27 points against the Jazz and is shooting 53.3 percent during the winning streak, while Kay Thompson has been at 52.9. Curry also had 11 assists against two turnovers, giving him 10.8 assists per game in five games in 2015 with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 5.40.
"Sometimes it's hard to figure out when to pull back and when to go because he figures he can always make a play, and he can, but he's found the perfect balance between attacking and pulling it out," Kerr said.
The Warriors, 12-0 against the Eastern Conference, opened the season series against the Heat with a 114-97 victory in Miami on Nov. 25. Curry scored a season-high 40 points and is averaging 35.0 on 60.0 percent in three meetings since the start of last season. Much of that damage has come from beyond the arc, where he's gone 20 of 30.
Golden State had its second-best shooting effort of the season (57.3 percent) in that November matchup, while Miami shot 38.8 percent.
The Heat (17-21) weren't a whole lot better Tuesday against the Lakers, but they escaped with a 78-75 win. It gave them consecutive victories over the Clippers and Lakers at Staples Center, where the Warriors were swept by the Los Angeles teams prior to the start of their current streak.
Wade left the game late in the first half with a mild left hamstring strain and didn't return. He missed seven games in November due to a similar injury.
"I could have played the game, but I decided to be smart this time and catch it early and not make it any worse," Wade said. "Since I caught it early, we'll take it day by day."
Miami shot 42.3 percent and was 2 of 16 from 3-point range, furthering a recent trend that has it at 11 of 51 (21.6 percent) in three games.
Chris Bosh was 4 of 17 for eight points, and Mario Chalmers sored 19 after an eight-game stretch averaging 4.4 on 25.5 percent.
The most promising performance was that of Hassan Whiteside, who had 15 points, nine rebounds and five blocks in 21 minutes. In the last five games, the center has averaged 14.6 points on 76.7 percent shooting.
"I'm here to do whatever coach needs," Whiteside said via the team's official Twitter feed. "If he tells me to run to the airport right now I'm going."
That's exactly where he's headed -- and up to Oakland to face the team that's holding opponents to the lowest field-goal percentage (42.0) in the league.
STATS LLC
When the Golden State Warriors won a franchise-best 15 straight home games in 1989-90, they did so while allowing 115.2 points per game.
They went 37-45, finished fifth in the Pacific Division and missed the playoffs because they were one of the worst defensive teams the NBA has seen in the last 30 years.
This season's club has been undeniably more well-rounded. The Warriors will try to again display the balance that's made them the best team in basketball Wednesday night as they attempt to match that home mark against the Miami Heat, who could be without Dwyane Wade.
Golden State (30-5) pushed its overall win streak to seven with Tuesday's 116-105 victory in Utah. The win marked a franchise-best seventh consecutive victory by double figures and didn't take much out of the team as it enters a busy stretch.
"First game of four in five nights, and nobody played 30 minutes," coach Steve Kerr said. "We got a tough game tomorrow and then another road trip for two more, so tonight was really about being able to play everybody, and to be able to do that and have an offensive game like that ... it's a great sign."
The overall streak has featured a 3-point mark of 43.6 percent and a winning margin of 20.6 points with their vaunted starting backcourt shooting better than normal.
Stephen Curry had 27 points against the Jazz and is shooting 53.3 percent during the winning streak, while Kay Thompson has been at 52.9. Curry also had 11 assists against two turnovers, giving him 10.8 assists per game in five games in 2015 with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 5.40.
"Sometimes it's hard to figure out when to pull back and when to go because he figures he can always make a play, and he can, but he's found the perfect balance between attacking and pulling it out," Kerr said.
The Warriors, 12-0 against the Eastern Conference, opened the season series against the Heat with a 114-97 victory in Miami on Nov. 25. Curry scored a season-high 40 points and is averaging 35.0 on 60.0 percent in three meetings since the start of last season. Much of that damage has come from beyond the arc, where he's gone 20 of 30.
Golden State had its second-best shooting effort of the season (57.3 percent) in that November matchup, while Miami shot 38.8 percent.
The Heat (17-21) weren't a whole lot better Tuesday against the Lakers, but they escaped with a 78-75 win. It gave them consecutive victories over the Clippers and Lakers at Staples Center, where the Warriors were swept by the Los Angeles teams prior to the start of their current streak.
Wade left the game late in the first half with a mild left hamstring strain and didn't return. He missed seven games in November due to a similar injury.
"I could have played the game, but I decided to be smart this time and catch it early and not make it any worse," Wade said. "Since I caught it early, we'll take it day by day."
Miami shot 42.3 percent and was 2 of 16 from 3-point range, furthering a recent trend that has it at 11 of 51 (21.6 percent) in three games.
Chris Bosh was 4 of 17 for eight points, and Mario Chalmers sored 19 after an eight-game stretch averaging 4.4 on 25.5 percent.
The most promising performance was that of Hassan Whiteside, who had 15 points, nine rebounds and five blocks in 21 minutes. In the last five games, the center has averaged 14.6 points on 76.7 percent shooting.
"I'm here to do whatever coach needs," Whiteside said via the team's official Twitter feed. "If he tells me to run to the airport right now I'm going."
That's exactly where he's headed -- and up to Oakland to face the team that's holding opponents to the lowest field-goal percentage (42.0) in the league.
Damn...18-23 with no turnaround in sight...And Heat cats keep talking shit in my Cavs thread.
Pacers-Heat Preview
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A matchup between the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat at this time last season would have been considered pivotal toward determining the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
When they meet Friday night in Miami, the Pacers will be attempting to make up ground on the Heat for the more humbling right to face a top seed.
More immediately, the Pacers (15-29) need to end a six-game losing streak that's included unflattering defeats to Philadelphia, Minnesota, Detroit and Charlotte.
The latest losses in Houston and Atlanta might have been more tolerable in terms of opposition, though Wednesday's 110-91 defeat to the East-leading Hawks was devoid of positives.
"We're not playing very well," forward Luis Scola said. "We had a bad game and this is what happened."
A 5-of-25 mark from 3-point range dipped Indiana to 22.0 percent from beyond the arc during the losing streak, and it's averaging 19.0 turnovers over the last three games.
"It's been tough," Scola told the team's official website. "We can't seem to find a rhythm. We don't seem to find a way to play the right way, and we don't seem to get any wins. We have a good opportunity to make the playoffs, but we have some good teams ahead of us right now. If we continue to lose games it's going to be very tough."
Indiana shifts its focus to its fourth stop on a five-game road trip. It's dropped five straight on the road, but Miami is 7-13 at home.
The Pacers could have George Hill back from a left groin strain that's sidelined him for 11 games. The point guard, listed as questionable, also missed the first 28 games because of a knee injury before returning for five and averaging 14.2 points while shooting 10 of 22 from 3-point range.
Indiana is 3-2 with him in the lineup, and the last game was a 106-95 home win over Miami on Dec. 31. Hill scored 20 points, while C.J. Miles had a game-high 25.
Miles also led with 18 against Atlanta after scoring 23 in Houston.
Indiana has won both meetings this season after the Heat took six of 10 in 2013-14, including a six-game victory in the conference finals.
The Pacers are four games behind Miami (18-24) for one of the final playoff spots, though the Heat haven't exactly put distance between the clubs during Indiana's struggles with eight losses in 12 games.
Former Indiana forward Danny Granger could be called upon for a second straight start if Luol Deng can't play. Deng missed a 78-76 loss in Charlotte on Wednesday due to illness.
Miami was also without Hassan Whiteside, who sat out with a right ankle sprain but isn't expected to miss significant time. The center has emerged this month with 12.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 72.1 percent (44 for 61).
"He's big and he plays big," Dwyane Wade said. "He protects the basket for us, he catches it and he finishes it. If he keeps doing that he will have a long, successful career."
His rebounding and efficiency were missed against the Hornets as the Heat surrendered a 56-41 advantage on the glass and shot 34.5 percent. They were held under 80 points for the third time in nine games and are averaging 86.4 in that span.
"Down the stretch we got a lot of shots that we wanted and they just didn't go in," said Wade, who scored 17 along with Chris Bosh.
STATS LLC
A matchup between the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat at this time last season would have been considered pivotal toward determining the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
When they meet Friday night in Miami, the Pacers will be attempting to make up ground on the Heat for the more humbling right to face a top seed.
More immediately, the Pacers (15-29) need to end a six-game losing streak that's included unflattering defeats to Philadelphia, Minnesota, Detroit and Charlotte.
The latest losses in Houston and Atlanta might have been more tolerable in terms of opposition, though Wednesday's 110-91 defeat to the East-leading Hawks was devoid of positives.
"We're not playing very well," forward Luis Scola said. "We had a bad game and this is what happened."
A 5-of-25 mark from 3-point range dipped Indiana to 22.0 percent from beyond the arc during the losing streak, and it's averaging 19.0 turnovers over the last three games.
"It's been tough," Scola told the team's official website. "We can't seem to find a rhythm. We don't seem to find a way to play the right way, and we don't seem to get any wins. We have a good opportunity to make the playoffs, but we have some good teams ahead of us right now. If we continue to lose games it's going to be very tough."
Indiana shifts its focus to its fourth stop on a five-game road trip. It's dropped five straight on the road, but Miami is 7-13 at home.
The Pacers could have George Hill back from a left groin strain that's sidelined him for 11 games. The point guard, listed as questionable, also missed the first 28 games because of a knee injury before returning for five and averaging 14.2 points while shooting 10 of 22 from 3-point range.
Indiana is 3-2 with him in the lineup, and the last game was a 106-95 home win over Miami on Dec. 31. Hill scored 20 points, while C.J. Miles had a game-high 25.
Miles also led with 18 against Atlanta after scoring 23 in Houston.
Indiana has won both meetings this season after the Heat took six of 10 in 2013-14, including a six-game victory in the conference finals.
The Pacers are four games behind Miami (18-24) for one of the final playoff spots, though the Heat haven't exactly put distance between the clubs during Indiana's struggles with eight losses in 12 games.
Former Indiana forward Danny Granger could be called upon for a second straight start if Luol Deng can't play. Deng missed a 78-76 loss in Charlotte on Wednesday due to illness.
Miami was also without Hassan Whiteside, who sat out with a right ankle sprain but isn't expected to miss significant time. The center has emerged this month with 12.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 72.1 percent (44 for 61).
"He's big and he plays big," Dwyane Wade said. "He protects the basket for us, he catches it and he finishes it. If he keeps doing that he will have a long, successful career."
His rebounding and efficiency were missed against the Hornets as the Heat surrendered a 56-41 advantage on the glass and shot 34.5 percent. They were held under 80 points for the third time in nine games and are averaging 86.4 in that span.
"Down the stretch we got a lot of shots that we wanted and they just didn't go in," said Wade, who scored 17 along with Chris Bosh.
Heat-Bulls Preview
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With a renewed emphasis on defense and rebounding, the Chicago Bulls are looking to continue their recent upswing at home before embarking on a difficult trip.
As they welcome former teammate Luol Deng back to United Center for the first time, the Central Division-leading Bulls seek their third straight win Sunday against a Miami Heat team that is struggling offensively.
Following a stretch of six losses in eight games over 13 days, Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau canceled practice Tuesday in favor of a team meeting to discuss some of the club's issues during its worst slump of the season.
The gathering seemed to have an immediate impact on the Bulls (29-16), who rolled to a 104-81 home win over defending champion San Antonio on Thursday before pulling out a 102-98 victory at Dallas on Friday.
"I feel like we're deep and we play hard," said guard Jimmy Butler, who tied Derrick Rose with a team-high 20 points Friday. "And if we do what we're supposed to do, we can beat anybody."
After allowing an average of 108.8 points on 50.5 percent shooting over their previous five contests, the Bulls tightened things against the Spurs and Mavericks, who combined to shoot 41.1 percent. Chicago also outrebounded those teams 93-69 after owning a minus-7.5 margin over its previous four.
Pau Gasol has totaled 33 boards in the past two games, while Joakim Noah returned from a four-game absence due to a sprained right ankle and had seven rebounds against the Mavs.
Chicago, however, committed a season-high 24 turnovers in Dallas and will try to take better care of the ball against the Heat (19-24) before kicking off a six-game Western trip Tuesday at Golden State.
The Heat's offense has been stagnant of late, averaging 85.5 points over the last six games, and they own a minus-3.2 rebounding margin on the season.
Miami nearly blew a 20-point lead before ending a two-game skid with an 89-87 home win over Indiana on Friday. Deng led the way with 23 points after missing one game due to a nasty illness and Chris Bosh added 19.
"The way this season has went for us, I don't care if we won by 20 or we won by a point or half a point," said Chicago native Dwyane Wade, who had 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting while dealing with a bad headache.
Deng spent his first nine-plus seasons with the Bulls before being traded to Cleveland last season and signing with Miami as a free agent last July. Now the forward is set to play in Chicago for the first time as a visitor.
He had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Wade also scored 17 in a 93-75 home loss to Chicago on Dec. 14. The Heat struggled with Bosh sidelined in that contest, shooting just 35.0 percent and missing 18 of 22 attempts from 3-point range.
Mike Dunleavy led the Bulls with 22 points while hitting 4 of 5 from beyond the arc and Butler added 17 points and seven rebounds. Dunleavy, though, will likely be a game-time decision after missing the past 12 with an ankle injury.
Miami center Hassan Whiteside is also day to day after sitting out the past two games with a sprained ankle.
The Heat have dropped seven of eight regular-season meetings at United Center.
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With a renewed emphasis on defense and rebounding, the Chicago Bulls are looking to continue their recent upswing at home before embarking on a difficult trip.
As they welcome former teammate Luol Deng back to United Center for the first time, the Central Division-leading Bulls seek their third straight win Sunday against a Miami Heat team that is struggling offensively.
Following a stretch of six losses in eight games over 13 days, Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau canceled practice Tuesday in favor of a team meeting to discuss some of the club's issues during its worst slump of the season.
The gathering seemed to have an immediate impact on the Bulls (29-16), who rolled to a 104-81 home win over defending champion San Antonio on Thursday before pulling out a 102-98 victory at Dallas on Friday.
"I feel like we're deep and we play hard," said guard Jimmy Butler, who tied Derrick Rose with a team-high 20 points Friday. "And if we do what we're supposed to do, we can beat anybody."
After allowing an average of 108.8 points on 50.5 percent shooting over their previous five contests, the Bulls tightened things against the Spurs and Mavericks, who combined to shoot 41.1 percent. Chicago also outrebounded those teams 93-69 after owning a minus-7.5 margin over its previous four.
Pau Gasol has totaled 33 boards in the past two games, while Joakim Noah returned from a four-game absence due to a sprained right ankle and had seven rebounds against the Mavs.
Chicago, however, committed a season-high 24 turnovers in Dallas and will try to take better care of the ball against the Heat (19-24) before kicking off a six-game Western trip Tuesday at Golden State.
The Heat's offense has been stagnant of late, averaging 85.5 points over the last six games, and they own a minus-3.2 rebounding margin on the season.
Miami nearly blew a 20-point lead before ending a two-game skid with an 89-87 home win over Indiana on Friday. Deng led the way with 23 points after missing one game due to a nasty illness and Chris Bosh added 19.
"The way this season has went for us, I don't care if we won by 20 or we won by a point or half a point," said Chicago native Dwyane Wade, who had 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting while dealing with a bad headache.
Deng spent his first nine-plus seasons with the Bulls before being traded to Cleveland last season and signing with Miami as a free agent last July. Now the forward is set to play in Chicago for the first time as a visitor.
He had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Wade also scored 17 in a 93-75 home loss to Chicago on Dec. 14. The Heat struggled with Bosh sidelined in that contest, shooting just 35.0 percent and missing 18 of 22 attempts from 3-point range.
Mike Dunleavy led the Bulls with 22 points while hitting 4 of 5 from beyond the arc and Butler added 17 points and seven rebounds. Dunleavy, though, will likely be a game-time decision after missing the past 12 with an ankle injury.
Miami center Hassan Whiteside is also day to day after sitting out the past two games with a sprained ankle.
The Heat have dropped seven of eight regular-season meetings at United Center.
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