Miami Heat’s LeBron James dunks the ball against the Chicago Bulls during the first half of Game 4 in their NBA Eastern Conference semi-final game in Chicago, Illinois, yesterday. RIGHT: Kevin Durant (35) of the Oklahoma City Thunder jokes with Mike Conley (11) of the Memphis Grizzlies during Game Four of the Western Conference semi-finals of the 2013 NBA play-offs at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee.
Chicago: LeBron James had 27 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as the Miami Heat routed Chicago 88-65 to seize a commanding 3-1 series lead in their second round Eastern Conference series.
Miami, who dominated the Bulls 115-78 in game two, started with an 11-2 run in yesterday’s contest and never looked back.
“We just try to wear a team down throughout the series and get better each game,” said James who was the leading vote getter in balloting for the NBA All Defensive Team yesterday.
He added: “We’ve done a great job of closing out quarters and going into the next quarter with momentum.”
Chicago shot a dismal 25.7 percent from the field and also scored a postseason franchise low in points in front of a crowd of 21,990 at the United Center arena.
The Bulls scored just nine points in the third quarter, another franchise low.
Miami, defending NBA champions, can now close out the best-of-seven series in game five today at home.
“We have to come out with the same intensity that we came out with tonight, both offensively and defensively,” James said.
Chris Bosh also scored in double figures, finishing with 14 points and four blocks for the Heat who had 19 fastbreak points compared to just seven for the Bulls.
“We wanted to work as hard as we could on defence tonight,” Bosh said.
He added: “We are looking forward to having a chance to close these guys out Wednesday.”
Carlos Boozer had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls, whose previous play-off franchise low in points (69) came against the Detroit Pistons in game one of a 2007 NBA quarter-finals.
Their previous low in field-goal percentage (31.1 percent) also came against the Pistons in game seven of the 1990 NBA semi-finals. Boozer shot just three-of-14 and Nate Robinson was zero-for-12 and didn’t score.
“We are disappointed with the way we played,” said Joakim Noah. “But there is still basketball left and we are not giving up.”
Meanwhile in another match, Mike Conley scored a team-high 24 points as Memphis rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Oklahoma City 103-97 in extra-time in game four of their second round play-off series.
All-star Zach Randolph had 23 points and 12 rebounds and Marc Gasol finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds for Memphis who took a 3-1 series lead to put themselves on the brink of their first appearance in the NBA play-off semi-finals.
The Grizzlies, who started out in the league as the Vancouver Grizzlies before moving to Memphis in 2001, can wrap up the series today.AFP
