Klay Thompson (11) of the Golden State Warriors makes a three-point shot against Kawhi Leonard (2) of the San Antonio Spurs during Game Two of the Western Conference semi-finals of the 2013 NBA Play-offs at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, yesterday.
MIAMI: Ray Allen scored 21 points as Miami rebounded from a game-one loss to rout Chicago 115-78 yesterday, handing the Bulls their most lopsided play-off defeat in franchise history.
LeBron James finished with 19 points and nine assists and Dwyane Wade and Norris Cole each scored 15 points in yesterday’s chippy National Basketball Association contest that saw Bulls Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson ejected in the second half.
“Our guys came in with a stronger disposition,” said coach Erik Spoelstra after the Heat tied the second-round series at 1-1.
“What we talked about was competing at highest level with composure. Our guys are ultra competitive.”
Allen came off the bench to score his 21 points in just 19 minutes of playing time for the Heat, who had six players score in double figures and shot an impressive 60 percent from the field at American Airlines Arena.
Miami bounced back in a big way from a 93-86 game-one loss where they shot just 39 percent from the field.
The injury-plagued Bulls lost their composure at times as they compiled a total of 27 fouls, including a half dozen technicals. Gibson and Noah were ejected early in the fourth quarter.
“They were more aggressive more determined,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “We were back on our heels. We got sidetracked and we can’t do that.
“We allowed frustration to carry over to the next play. We can’t get wrapped up in that stuff.”
The Heat dominated at both ends of the court, forcing the Bulls to turn the ball over 19 times.
Marco Belinelli paced Chicago with 13 points and six assists and Noah scored 12 points before being ejected. Game three of this best-of-seven Eastern Conference series is today in Chicago.
The game in front of a crowd of 19,817 at the American Airlines Arena included 51 personal fouls, seven technicals and the two ejections.
The Heat returned to their dominating ways yesterday against the Bulls team that had snapped Miami’s 27-game win streak earlier in the season.
Heat haven’t been immune from trailing in a playoff series before. Miami fell behind in three different series last year en route to their second NBA championship. Chicago stole the game one victory with a 10-0 run to close the contest.
Meanwhile, Klay Thompson scored 29 of his 34 points in the first half and added 14 rebounds for his first career double-double as the visiting Golden State Warriors beat San Antonio Spurs 100-91 to level the Western Conference semi-finals at 1-1.
Stephen Curry added 22 points and Harrison Barnes scored 13 for the Warriors, who snapped a 30-game losing streak in San Antonio dating back to February 14, 1997. AGENCIES
