Heat roll over Bulls

The 33-point margin of victory was the largest win ever for the Heat over the Bulls.

Jones shot 8-of-11 from the field, including 6-of-8 from behind the arc. He knocked down four of those treys in the fourth, when the Heat ripped open what had already been a sizeable lead. Jones also scored 14 points in the fourth quarter of Miami’s 88-81 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

Shaquille O’Neal scored 24 points, grabbed nine boards, and doled out eight assists for the Heat, who won their third straight and fourth in five games despite the absence of star guard Dwyane Wade. Antoine Walker scored 14 points and grabbed 10 boards for the Heat, who have won 10 straight at home.

Ben Gordon, who poured in a career-high 48 points in Chicago’s 126-121 overtime win in Milwaukee on Sunday, was held to 14 points and eight rebounds. Chris Duhon scored 12 points and Kirk Hinrich added 11 for the Bulls, who shot 35 percent from the field, compared to Miami’s 55-percent performance.

Jones exploded in the fourth and Miami’s lead, which stood at 70-56 entering the quarter, ballooned to 33 points in the final minute, as the Heat outscored the Bulls 33-14 in the final quarter.

An 11-0 run towards the end of the third quarter put some distance between the Miami and Chicago, closed by a Gary Payton jumper that posted Miami to a 67-53 lead with 2:27 left.

Miami led 30-18 after the first quarter, and 52-43 at the break.

Game Notes

The win was Miami’s largest of the season...Chicago’s 70 points marked a season-low for the Bulls, and for a Heat opponent...Miami is now 36-1 at home in February and March over the past three seasons.