CHICAGO — This time the Miami Heat seized a fourth-quarter lead on the road and found a way to finish.
So while 2-2 might not have been the record of choice on the four-game, nine-day trip that had the team away for the holiday, Saturday night’s 107-104 victory over the Chicago Bulls at the United Center beat the alternative.
With supporting players stepping up before Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler helped close at the finish, the Heat again moved above .500 on the road and won on a night Tyler Herro was sidelined.
In was an ensemble effort that included both the unexpected and the needed. There were a season-high 20 points from Gabe Vincent, 19 points from Lowry, 18 from Butler, 16 from Duncan Robinson, 13 from Max Strus, and nine points, seven rebounds and six assists from Bam Adebayo.
Vincent was the key to closing time, with 16 of his points in the final period.
Five Degrees of Heat from Saturday night’s game:
1. Closing time: The Bulls led 74-72 going into the fourth, which matched their largest lead to that stage, after the Heat previously had led by nine. The Heat shot just 7 of 24 in the third.
Vincent then scored 11 points early in the final period, but the Heat still found themselves only up 89-87 with 5:45 to play.
The Heat later moved to a 100-91 lead with 2:15 to go, but even more was needed, with a DeMar DeRozan layup with 25.9 seconds to play drawing the Bulls within 102-99.
Off an ensuing timeout, the Heat then got a layup from Lowry and a season-high fifth steal from Butler to effectively put it away.
2. Angry moment: Not only were the Heat without Herro, but backup center Dewayne Dedmon was ejected with 11:07 to play after kicking a chair at the end on the Heat bench in anger, with the seat cushion sent flying into the crowd and striking a fan.
Dedmon received a “hostile act” technical foul for his action, which was part of what became a four-point Bulls possession.
Players typically are also fined for such act, with a five-figure penalty likely to follow.
Dedmon closed with two points and four rebounds in his 12:02.
3. Half full: Robinson in some ways had the game the Heat needed with Herro out, up to 16 points midway through the third period, at 4 of 11 on 3-pointers to that stage.
But Robinson also was forced out with his fourth foul with 5:37 left in the third.
With his first 3-pointer, Robinson extended his franchise record to 68 consecutive games with at least one conversion. The 3-pointer also move him past Goran Dragic for fifth on the Heat all-time list.
4. Herro out: With Herro taking ill on Friday night and then ruled out shortly before tipoff, it shook up the Heat’s rotation.
Caleb Martin played as sixth man, entering midway through the opening period after P.J. Tucker was called for his second foul.
From there, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra inserted Dedmon, Vincent and Strus.
5. Speaking of: It was the first appearance by Strus, a Chicago-area native, after being held out of the previous two games. Strus had been honored a day earlier at DePaul.
Strus, who briefly played for the Bulls two seasons ago, led the Heat with nine first-half points, including a dunk and a 3-pointer.
Strus, though, also was 1 of 5 on 3-pointers, part of the Heat 4 of 16 over the opening two periods.
