CHICAGO _ Chicago Bulls coach Jim Boylen offered a simple take on both the ball and the Miami Heat before Friday night's game.
"They share it," he said, "and they guard it."
The Heat did just that, rolling to a fifth consecutive win and an 11-3 record, with a 116-108 victory at the United Center.
As has been the case so often recently, the Heat utilized ball movement, outside shooting and defensive pressure to push to a massive lead, and then nursed it, somewhat shakily.
This time there was a 26-point advantage less than two minutes into the second half and an 18-point lead entering the fourth quarter that evaporated to seven in the waning minutes.
Through it all, it again was a spread-the-wealth night for Erik Spoelstra's team.
There were 27 points, seven assists and five rebounds from Jimmy Butler against his former team, 21 points from Kendrick Nunn in his Chicago homecoming and a 16-point, 14-rebound double-double from Bam Adebayo that also featured six assists.
Zach LaVine scored a team-high 15 points for the Bulls (5-11).
