CHICAGO _ Sometimes the NBA schedule gifts you a moment. That present was presented Sunday to the Miami Heat.
It turned out the Heat needed every advantage possible, struggling to a 100-93 victory over the Chicago Bulls at the United Center, lethargic to the degree that they opened with a seven-point first quarter, the lowest-scoring opening period in the franchise's 30 seasons.
Not only were the Bulls returning from a four-game western swing following a Saturday flight from San Francisco, not only were they still adjusting to the two-hour time change for a 2:30 p.m. Central tipoff, not only did they enter with nine losses in their last 10, but they were coming off Friday night's 143-94 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
"From day one," Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said going in, "even going back into September, the biggest thing we talked about as a team was fighting through tough times and handling adversity."
They didn't get any tougher or more adverse than what Chicago faced in this one.
And yet, for extended stretches, it looked like the Heat were the team playing at a deficit, instead of winners of three of their previous four.
It wasn't until late that the Heat finally pulled away in what had been a one-point game midway through the fourth quarter.
Guard Goran Dragic led the Heat with 24 points, supported by 19 from Wayne Ellington and 15 from James Johnson, who provided a strong finish.
The Heat finished with center Hassan Whiteside on the bench with a heating pad on his troublesome left knee. He checked out with 4:15 to play in the third period and did not return, closing with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes, 19 seconds.
The Heat also closed with Dion Waiters on the bench during his 2-of-10 game. Waiters did not play in the fourth quarter.
After the Heat matched their largest lead of the night at 71-64 early in the fourth quarter, the Bulls used a 6-0 run to close within 71-70. Ellington then stepped up with a 3-pointer.
The Bulls later moved back within two when Tyler Johnson was called for his fourth foul with 7:06 to play.
Moments later, Kelly Olynyk was called for his fourth foul, as the Bulls again moved within two, as Whiteside, lethargic to that stage, remained bolted to the bench.
A 3-point play by Dragic eventually pushed the Heat to an 88-81 lead midway through the fourth quarter, matching the Heat's largest lead to that stage.
The Heat pushed to a seven-point lead early in the third period, but again had their uneven moments in that portion of the game, going into the fourth ahead 64-61.
The Heat had four players in double figures in scoring by the end of the third period, but no one with more than Whiteside's 11 points. Whiteside already had his double-double by that stage.
The Heat followed up their seven-point first quarter with a 38-point second period to move to a 45-42 halftime lead.
After shooting 2 of 19 in the opening period, the Heat shot 13 of 19 in the second, with Wayne Ellington with three 3-pointers at the intermission.
The Heat were fortunate to only be down 13-7 at the close of the first quarter, thanks to Chicago's 4 of 24 inaccuracy. The Heat mixed in five turnovers in the opening period, the Bulls three.
It was the lowest-scoring first quarter in franchise history. The previous low was eight points against the Orlando Magic on April 22, 1999. The Heat's lowest quarter ever remains five against Boston April 13, 2016.
The Heat won the first meeting 97-91 Nov. 1 at AmericanAirlines Arena, behind 20 points from Dragic and 19 from Tyler Johnson, despite 25 from Bulls forward Lauri Markkanen.
The Heat entered having won six of the previous eight meetings, with at least one victory in Chicago each season since 2012-13.
The game was the second on a four-game trip for the Heat and opened a run of three games in four nights, with the Cleveland Cavaliers up next on Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Heat were coming off Friday's 109-97 victory in Minnesota, when they shot 19 of 39 on 3-pointers.
