Philippines, 31 Jan 2026
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Heat pours fuel on rivalry, burns Bulls


PhilBoxing.com




WITH supremacy in the Eastern Conference on the line, the Miami Heat showed the Chicago Bulls that they were -- for one night at least -- the top dogs.

Led by LeBron James' 27 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, the Heat trounced the Bulls 82-73 Thursday night at the American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami. The win moved the 45-17 Heat to within 1.5 games behind the 47-16 Bulls for the No.1 seed in the upcoming NBA playoffs.

Chicago -- playing without MVP Derrick Rose for the 25th time this season -- struggled mightily against a tough and physical Miami defense. The Bulls made only 25 of 70 field goals for a tepid 35.7 percent clip. They missed 14 of 16 treys and converted only 20 of 28 free throws.

John Lucas led the Bulls with 16 points, but he took 16 shots to get there. Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer had a rough outing as well, missing 17 of 26 shots. They did have 21 points combined but the Bulls couldn't survive a fourth quarter drought that netted them only 11 points.

Miami didn't exactly set the American Airlines Arena on fire, but the Heat shot better at 42.1 percent (32-of-76 field goals). The Heat also sank two more 3s (4-of-13) and they didn't miss as many free throws (15-of-21).

More importantly, the Heat out-rebounded the Bulls 45-40 and they played with more passion on both ends of the floor.

"That's what the playoffs are going to be about. When someone pushes their foot on the gas and tries to push us back, we have to push even harder. We definitely have to get better at that," said Bulls guard Rip Hamilton of the game's playoff-type atmosphere which saw four technical fouls and an ejection.

"Typical Eastern Conference basketball game in late April," Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra told NBA.com. "It was a good win. Both teams had to fight through some injuries. Everybody out there obviously was competing,: he added.

Gunning for his third MVP award, James sank 8-of-16 shots, 1-of-12 triples and 10-of-12 freebies. He was the heart of a Miami offense that aggressively attacked the Bulls. (Fakhouri Amjid)


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Fakhouri Amjid.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson: Styles Make Fights Fitting Cliche
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 31 Jan 2026
  • Bryan Flores Wins Majority Decision Over Starling Castillo in Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’ at Live! Casino Hotel Maryland
    , Sat, 31 Jan 2026
  • KinetixSports Legacy Run on March 1
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 31 Jan 2026
  • THE RING 6: OFFICIAL WEIGHTS AND RUNNING ORDER FOR TEOFIMO LOPEZ VS. SHAKUR STEVENSON
    , Sat, 31 Jan 2026
  • Legendary Soccer Player Sergio Ramos to make professional boxing debut
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sat, 31 Jan 2026
  • Weigh-In Results: Xander Zayas vs. Abass Baraou
    , Sat, 31 Jan 2026
  • Teofimo vs Shakur Fight Analysis
    By Ralph Rimpell, , Sat, 31 Jan 2026
  • Rohan Polanco-Christian Gomez Welterweight Showdown Canceled
    , Sat, 31 Jan 2026
  • NEWCASTLE WEIGH-IN RESULTS AND FIGHT NIGHT RUNNING ORDER CONFIRMED AS MURTAZALIEV AND KELLY CLASH FOR WORLD TITLE
    , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • Boxers Make Weight for Brico Santig’s Exciting 21-Bout Promotion in Thailand (PHOTOS)
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • “It’s time for TSABZ to shine” Get to know Tanaka Saburi as he retuns March 13 in Perth – Thunderdome 53
    , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • ATLANTIC CITY BOXING HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2026
    , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • Manny Pacquiao Chess Philippines: WCM Nika Juris Nicolas is Ready to Fight
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • PFDA Grass Nationals in Tagum on June 5-7
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • Press Conference Notes: Puerto Rican Star Xander Zayas Ready for Saturday's Hometown Unification Battle against Abass Baraou
    , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • PFDA Grass Nationals in Tagum on June 5-7
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • ‘THE RING 6’ TEOFIMO LOPEZ VS. SHAKUR STEVENSON PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
    , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • NEWCASTLE PRESS CONFERENCE: WHAT WAS SAID AS JOSH KELLY AND BAKHRAM MURTAZALIEV ARE KEPT APART AFTER HEATED FACE-OFF
    , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • Weights From ProBoxTV’s ‘Flores vs. Castillo’ at Live! Casino Hotel Maryland
    , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • WAPA Deportes Confirmed as Puerto Rican Broadcast Home for Saturday’s Xander Zayas vs. Abass Baraou Title Unification Showdown
    , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • Legendary Panamanian Juan Carlos Tapia will be inducted into the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • Manny Pacquiao Promotions Announces Additional Matchups for Saturday, February 28 Event at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York
    , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • SWERVE TV STRIKES MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS TO EXPAND PREMIUM BOXING CONTENT
    , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • Leuenbergers to join IRONMAN® 70.3 Davao
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 30 Jan 2026
  • Open Workout: Xander Zayas and Abass Baraou Prepare For Saturday's Unification Showdown in Puerto Rico
    , Thu, 29 Jan 2026




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2026 philboxing.com.