NBA: Wade halts Bulls' charge
Dwyane Wade snuffed out another Chicago Bulls rally and moved the Miami Heat one step closer to the second round of the playoffs.
Chicago cut a 20-point deficit to four with 1:15 left, but Wade made two huge plays to ensure that Miami escaped with a 115-108 victory Monday night.
The Heat holds a 2-0 lead in the best- of-seven first-round series.
"I didn't have my athletic ability tonight the way I would have liked to have it," said Wade, still bothered by a calf that cramped in Game 1. "But I was able to make the plays I had to make with a couple of blocked shots and a couple of steals."
Miami showed tremendous offensive balance to overcome Wade's physical struggles and the absence of Udonis Haslem, its starting power forward, who was suspended for Game 2 after throwing a mouthpiece toward Referee Joey Crawford in Saturday's series opener.
Jason Williams and Shaquille O'Neal each scored 22 points. Wade had 21 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals. Antoine Walker, who played the first 40:20 without a rest, filling in for Haslem, added 17 points and 10 rebounds, James Posey scored 12 points and Gary Payton 11.
