The Heat won eight of 10 games after the break and are chasing down the Celtics for the No. 3 spot in the East with a rejuvenated offensive approach. Miami whacked the Bulls 10 days ago with a season-high point total in the 129-111 home win, and look to make it three straight over Chicago this season.
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SCHEDULING
The Heat take a five-game winning streak on the road and visit the Bulls in the second game of their three-game trip that gets played over four nights. Included in Miami’s win streak is a 129-111 victory over Chicago. The Heat followed that game with wins over Phoenix and Philadelphia twice. Miami will play as many road games over the next four days as they played in the previous three weeks, a run that saw them go 7-2 SU and ATS with five of their six opponents playing below .500.
Chicago plays the second game of a back-to-back in a quirky part of their schedule. The Bulls beat Milwaukee on Monday and enjoyed two days off before visiting San Antonio Thursday for the first part of a back-to-back. They head home for Friday’s matchup with Miami and then have two more days off. The Bulls have struggled in the back end of consecutive games, going 4-8 SU and ATS and will be tested with a depleted roster. The Bulls are looking for their first win over the Heat this season after dropping the first two games of the season series and failing to cover in each.
INJURIES
Hassan Whiteside came down with a stomach virus, but is expected to play during the Heat’s road trip. Chris Bosh remains out dealing with blood clots in his left leg. He has resumed basketball activities, but remains unlikely to return this season.
Bulls leading scorer Jimmy Butler experienced swelling in his knee after returning to the lineup over the weekend. He didn’t play Monday and will be monitored closely. He is unlikely to play in the back-to-back set. Guard Aaron Brooks left the Milwaukee game with a knee injury and forward Bobby Portis was taken out due to an eye injury. Both are listed as day-to-day moving forward.
KEY MATCHUP
When Bosh was lost with clotting in his leg, the Heat were forced to go small and adjust without their big guy. And the Heat – the team since the All-Star break that races up and down the court at a faster pace than the Thunder, and the one that averages more points than the Cavs, Clippers, Spurs and all but five NBA teams over its last 10 games – is finally playing at a pace Goran Dragic is happy with. Dragic, who averaged 12.2 points and 5.3 assists before the break, didn’t necessarily hate the way the team played. But he was quietly frustrated. The Heat are 8-2 since the break and clawing at the Celtics for third in the East thanks to the new-found tempo game, with Dragic a big reason for the success. He’s averaging 19.2 points, 7.8 assists, and leading the NBA in plus/minus since the break. I’m not saying Bosh was the problem. Rather, his absence forced the Heat to find other ways to fill his shoes, and Dragic has stepped into them.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Bulls are trying to stay relevant in the Eastern Conference while they deal with a myriad of injuries. When it looked like things were getting better with the return of Butler and Nikola Mirotic last weekend, the excitement was short-lived. Butler experienced swelling and discomfort in the same knee that forced him out of 11 games, and it’s uncertain when he’ll be back. The ailments to Brooks, Portis and Cameron Bairstow are not considered major, but are a nuisance to a team looking to find something positive to lean on down the stretch. Meanwhile, the Heat are enjoying a post-break renaissance, with a new up-tempo style that has them scoring, winning, and happy. Miami swept Philadelphia in a home-and-home, extending its winning streak to five games before going on the road. But don’t read too much into that run, the Heat also beat Phoenix and New York. They’ve owned the Bulls this season, posting a 129-111 win as part of that win streak and won 89-84 in Chicago on Jan. 25, covering the spread both times.
Miami 104, Chicago 97
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Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The contest between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls will take place Friday, March 11, 2016, at 8 p.m. ET at the United Center. You can watch the game live on NBA TV.
