MIAMI (AP) -Ben Gordon scored 27 points and Luol Deng had 24 points and 11 rebounds for Chicago, which beat Miami 104-96 on Friday night to take a 3-0 lead over the defending NBA champions in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
The Bulls, who took control with a 15-2 fourth-quarter run, can close out the series in Miami on Sunday afternoon. No NBA team has ever overcome an 0-3 deficit.
The Heat trailed by nine points with 2:33 left and got within 99-96 on a jumper by Dwyane Wade with 1:25 left, but got no closer. They led by 12 points in the third quarter, but misfired on 19 of their 35 free-throw attempts and were outscored 32-17 over the final 11 1/2 minutes.
Wade scored 28 points and Shaquille O’Neal added 23 points and 13 rebounds for Miami. Wade was 4-for-10 from the foul line and O’Neal was 3-for-12.
Chicago outrebounded Miami by a wide margin (44-33) for the third straight game, and made 29 of 37 free throws.
Nets 102, Raptors 89
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) – Jason Kidd had a playoff career-high 19 assists in his 10th postseason triple-double, and Vince Carter scored 37 points for New Jersey, which took a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.
One day after missing practice because of a bruised left knee, Kidd was back in the starting lineup and added 16 points and 16 rebounds. He had 14 assists by halftime and easily passed his previous best of 16, set when he was playing for Phoenix. He also had the previous New Jersey record of 15.
Kidd snapped a tie with Wilt Chamberlain and moved into one with Larry Bird for second on the career postseason triple-doubles list. He is still 20 behind Magic Johnson, the career leader.
The Nets, who never trailed and led by as many as 21 points, host Game 4 on Sunday night.
T.J. Ford scored 27 points for the Raptors, who haven’t won a postseason road game since beating Philadelphia on May 6, 2001, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. All-Star forward Chris Bosh was limited to 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting.
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