It was only a matter of time before the Heat took care of business with a 117-103 over the Bulls.
The last homecoming for the current-Miami Heat kid from Chicago went exactly how anyone would have hoped for. Dwyane Wade kept the extra bounce he had in his step a night ago against Detroit and carried it over against the Bulls.
With many in the stands there to see Wade’s last game in the United Center, their home team made things interesting for as long as they could.
The Bull’s, despite rebuilding, found production from a trio of players. Zack LaVine was able to get things going early on as well as Bobby Portis making some shocking plays. The seven-footer, Lauri Markkanen was right behind them with one rebound shy of a double-double.
There were plenty of times where the Heat struggled to find any type of offense, essentially keeping the Bulls in the game.
On a team where everyone has to fight for their minutes, Dion Waiters, who was just fined for comments about not playing, took the step forward to earn his playing time.
The shooting guard put together 13 first-half points in just 12 minutes to help the Heat find a glimpse of offense just before the half.
As the game went on the Heat found rhythm from other players as they took control of the game.
For a moment it was Derek Jones Jr. and his ridiculous athleticism to create a run. Wade continued to provide multiple pushes. From shooting, rebounding and assisting; it was an overall performance from the vet.
Then it was Josh Richardson who finished with 26-points becoming the hot hand all night. One of the biggest contributors of Wade’s double-double was Tyler Johnson. The shooting guard’s 14-points put the Heat on a run that Chicago wouldn’t be able to bounce back from.
The second half provided threats from every area of the Heat’s roster. It was the best bench performance of the season with the Heat producing six double-digit scorers in route to a 117-103 victory over the Bulls.