Goran Dragic leads Heat to 6th straight, 100-88 over Bulls

CHICAGO (AP) — The mantra of every struggling team is to keep working and things will eventually turn around.

Although it rarely works out that way, the Miami Heat are trying to be the exception.

Goran Dragic had 26 points and 11 assists, Willie Reed scored 20 points and Dion Waiters added 19 to lead the Heat to their sixth straight win Friday night, a 100-88 victory over the bickering Chicago Bulls.

Dragic was asked what has pleased him most about the streak following an 11-30 start.

"That we're doing it as a team," he said. "We're playing for each other, we're fighting for each other. Everybody's feeling comfortable. We know what we need to do. As long as we take care of business with the defense, we feel like can play with anyone."

Dwyane Wade had 15 points to lead the Bulls, who began the day with a team meeting and ended it with a second straight frustrating loss.

Wade and Jimmy Butler started the controversy when they questioned the desire of the team's younger players following a loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. Rajon Rondo fired back a day later, criticizing Wade and Butler in an Instagram post.

All three players were fined, and Wade and Butler were held out of the starting lineup as punishment.

"We obviously had a very emotional day," coach Fred Hoiberg said. "It's not an excuse for how we played. It's the worst game we've played all year, in my opinion."

Butler was the first off bench and received a loud ovation from the United Center crowd when he checked in with 6:53 remaining in the first quarter. Wade also received a loud ovation when he entered 28 seconds later.

Rondo, though, was greeted by some boos when he checked in with 5:05 to go in the first.

Whether it was the controversy or coming off the bench, Butler never developed a rhythm and finished with just three points on 1-for-13 shooting.

"I'll be back," he said. "I promise I will be back. I am not worried at all."

Miami took control with a 24-14 advantage in the third quarter to break open a tie game at halftime. The Bulls tried to rally in the fourth, but the Heat answered every charge.

"I liked our toughness, in the second half especially," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

TIP INS

Heat: C Hassan Whiteside didn't play because of a sprained right ankle suffered Wednesday night against Brooklyn.

Bulls: Part of the frustration for Wade and Butler against the Hawks was losing a game in which they combined for 73 of the Bulls' 114 points. It was the first time they each had scored at least 30 points in a game this season.

MEDIA UNFRIENDLY

Besides Wade and Butler not starting, all three players were fined for airing grievances in the media and on social media. General manager Gar Forman made his displeasure known in the team meeting and in individual talks with the players.

"It's not how we want to operate," Forman said. "It is totally unacceptable, and we made it very clear to the players that were involved that it's unacceptable. It's a distraction that's not needed. I think it's a detriment to team growth."

NO REGRETS

With the controversy and recent struggles, Wade was asked if he had any second thoughts about signing with the Bulls after spending his first 13 seasons with the Heat.

"I've been happy," he said. "The process of losing ballgames is never fun. ... I'm not having fun being an average team, from that standpoint, but I am enjoying the journey."

MOVING ON

As part of his Instagram post, Rondo said his "vets" with the Celtics didn't take days off, a clear shot at Wade.

"I could take that as a personal attack," he said. "But what's that going to do for me? Come in here and fight Rajon because he said his vets practiced every day? I'm 35. I'm not practicing every day. That's very clear."

UP NEXT

Heat: Host the Pistons on Saturday night. Miami has dropped its first two games against Detroit by a combined 32 points.

Bulls: They wrap up a three-game homestand Sunday night against the Philadelphia 76ers before beginning a six-game road trip.

Bulls ride Wade and Butler to 100-92 win over Magic

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Dwyane Wade trusts his natural feel for the game when it's time to defer and allow Jimmy Butler to take over down the stretch.

The 14-year veteran guard also knows when his new team needs more of him late in the games. He sensed it Tuesday night, scoring seven of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to propel the Chicago Bulls to 100-92 road win over the struggling Orlando Magic.

It was the second straight game that Wade took over in the fourth quarter to lead Chicago to victory.

''Each game is different and it calls for something different,'' Wade said of how he and Butler play off each other. ''Like I said earlier in the year, I think we are both more dynamic when we are both able to score.''

Both took turns in the fourth as the Bulls pulled away in otherwise close game. Butler scored six of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as they took turns pulling up for jumpers and driving to the basket against a Magic team that was playing without three of its top four guards.

But Wade just seemed to have a little more energy as he played the role of scorer and facilitator in setting up his teammates for easy baskets throughout the fourth quarter.

''He's been huge lately,'' Butler said. ''He's taking and making shots, tough ones at that, passing the ball to the open guy. Me and him both decided to miss a couple of wide-open layups tonight, that's part of it. But he has been huge.''

His performance took a little pressure off Jerian Grant, who was inserted back into the starting lineup at point guard before the game. Wade's vision also played a part in backup center Cristiano Felicio's 12-point, 10-rebound performance.

''He is obviously a guy who can get it going at any time,'' Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg said of Wade. ''He had three big buckets going into halftime to get him some confidence and little rhythm and then was awesome in the fourth quarter to close the game.''

TIP-INS

Bulls: Chicago shook up its point guard position before Tuesday night's game. Grant replaced Carter-Williams in the starting lineup. Hoiberg said Carter-Williams, who didn't play, has been demoted and will come off the bench and did not immediately name a backup, although Rajon Rondo was the first off the bench.

Magic: Injuries caused the Magic to shuffle their starting lineup for the second game in a row. With Augustin out with an ankle injury from Sunday's loss to Golden State, Vogel shifted C.J. Watson, who started at shooting guard Sunday, to backup point guard and coming off the bench. Jeff Green and Aaron Gordon both started at the wings to match up better against Butler and Wade, Vogel said. Fournier, the starting shooting guard, missed his sixth straight game with a sore right foot. ...The MRI on Augustin's sprained ankle came back negative but he is listed as day-to-day. ... Meeks had surgery on his right thumb Tuesday morning and is out indefinitely.

DEPLETED BACKCOURT

With Evan Fournier, Jodie Meeks and D.J. Augustin all out with injuries, the Magic's backcourt struggled.

That was most evident in the 19 turnovers the team committed. Point guard Elfrid Payton, who had to play 38 minutes because of the lack at the position, committed eight of the costly turnovers.

''Well, they're good at turning teams over and we know we can't over penetrate,'' said Orlando coach Frank Vogel. ''But we're missing our shooting guards so it's a little bit of a challenge with what we have in terms of perimeter shooting.''

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

Felicio, who struggled with catching the ball in the paint early in the season, thrived underneath most of the night when Chicago went to its smaller lineup.

He defended Nikola Vucevic decently in the paint and when Butler and Wade found him for lobs inside he made good, converting four of six.

UP NEXT

Bulls: Chicago returns home to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

Magic: Orlando hits the road for a three-game stretch with Boston as the first stop on Friday night.

Johnson rallies Lightning in 3rd for 5-2 win over Blackhawks

Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) In the third period, Tyler Johnson and the Tampa Bay Lightning looked more like the slick-skating group that dashed to the 2015 Stanley Cup final than a team that's been languishing near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings this season.

Johnson scored two goals 30 seconds apart early in the third, leading Tampa Bay past the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 on Tuesday night to end a three-game slide.

Brian Boyle had a goal and an assist, and Nikita Nesterov and Nikita Kucherov also scored for the Lightning, who broke loose for three goals in a 3:57 span to erase a 2-1 deficit. Alex Killorn set up both of Johnson's goals, and Valtteri Filppula had two assists to help Tampa Bay win for just the third time in 11 games.

The Lightning have been battered by injuries this season, including a critical one to sniper Steven Stamkos, who hasn't skated since sustaining a meniscal tear to his right knee in mid-November. But they rallied impressively against the Blackhawks, who beat Tampa Bay in six games for the 2015 NHL championship.

''It's big for us,'' Johnson said. ''Every point matters right now, so we needed to get that in the third period.

''It's nice being back here and realizing we were two wins away from a Stanley Cup,'' he added. ''Pretty much the exact same team. We know what we can do. It's a matter of doing it.''

Killorn said the Lightning ''had a chat'' about the 2015 final on Tuesday morning at United Center - and that might have made a difference.

''We have a lot of guys in this room that can play, a team that can do some special things,'' he said. ''Once we were reminded of that, we played a lot better tonight.''

Jonathan Toews had a goal and an assist, and Duncan Keith also scored for the Blackhawks, who had their three-game winning streak stopped. Chicago lost for only the third time in its last 10.

Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy made 34 saves, getting the start and delivering a strong performance after he relieved Ben Bishop for the third period of the Lightning's 5-3 loss at Arizona on Sunday.

''Their goalie was excellent tonight,'' Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. ''I think we've only generated as much offense in one or two games as we did tonight.''

Corey Crawford blocked 31 shots for the Blackhawks.

After Nesterov tied it 2-all off a faceoff 2:47 into the third, Johnson put Tampa Bay ahead for the first time at 6:14. He beat Crawford with a rising shot from the right circle after taking Killorn's feed.

Johnson made it 4-2 at 6:44 from the edge of the crease with his 15th goal after Killorn's pass from behind the net. Killorn had fired wide, then retrieved the puck and dished in front.

''We just kept on going,'' Johnson said. ''Wanted to use our speed, wanted to use our transition.''

Kucherov added an empty-netter - his team-leading 18th goal - with 2:05 left.

Toews stayed hot after getting the game-winning goal and three assists Sunday in a 4-2 victory over Vancouver. In his previous six games, the Blackhawks' captain had just two assists.

Toews' effort in this one was overshadowed by the Lightning's late burst.

''You can expect a team like that to come at us the way they did in the third,'' Toews said, ''but I think our answer just wasn't there.''

Sharp goaltending at both ends limited the score to 1-1 after a freewheeling first period filled with chances.

Toews opened the scoring at 10:23, completing a cross-ice give-and-go with Richard Panik. Toews got to the edge of the crease and tipped in Panik's feed after slipping behind Lightning star defenseman Victor Hedman.

Boyle tied it with 1:25 left in the period after taking Filppula's long feed and plowing between Chicago's top defensive pairing of Keith and Niklas Hjalmarsson. Boyle broke in, faked Crawford to the ice and then slid the puck past him with a forehand move.

Keith put Chicago ahead 2-1 at 1:26 of the second on a shot from the left point that glanced in off Vasilevskiy's glove.

NOTES: Tampa Bay RW J.T. Brown returned after missing seven games with an upper-body injury. ... Lightning D Jason Garrison sat out his second game with an illness. ... The Blackhawks activated C Marcus Kruger (hand) from injured reserve, but he didn't play. Kruger was injured on Dec. 30 at Carolina. ... Chicago C Dennis Rasmussen played despite missing the morning skate with an illness. ... Blackhawks D Michal Kempny was back in the lineup after being benched in the third period on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Lightning: Conclude their six-game road trip at Florida on Thursday night.

Blackhawks: Host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.

Trump warns he's ready to 'send the feds' to Chicago

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump is serving notice he's ready to "send in the Feds" if Chicago can't reduce its homicide figures.

Trump tweeted Tuesday night: "If Chicago doesn't fix the horrible 'carnage' going on, 228 shootings in 2017 with 42 killings (up 24% from 2016), I will send in the Feds!"

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson responded late Tuesday, saying: "The Chicago Police Department is more than willing to work with the federal government to build on our partnerships with DOJ (Department of Justice), FBI, DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) and ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) and boost federal prosecution rates for gun crimes in Chicago."

Mayor Rahm Emanuel criticized Trump on Monday for worrying about the size of the crowd at his inauguration. Emanuel, a longtime political ally of former President Barack Obama, also acknowledged his own frustration with Chicago's crime rate.

Earlier this month, before he took office, Trump tweeted that Emanuel should ask for federal help if he isn't able to bring down the homicide rate. Last year, the death toll soared to 762 - the most killings in the city in nearly two decades and more than New York and Los Angeles combined.

This year's numbers cited by Trump were slightly different to the latest tally from the Chicago Police Department. As of Tuesday, Chicago police said 234 people have been shot in 2017, including 38 who died. At this point last year, according to Chicago police, there had been 227 shot in 2016, including 33 deaths.

Trump isn't offering specifics about how the federal government could help. The White House website says: "Our country needs more law enforcement, more community engagement and more effective policing."

Woman shot to death near Chicago school

CHICAGO -- Chicago police said a woman was shot and killed near an elementary school in the Austin neighborhood early Monday morning.

The body was lying in a grassy area near the sidewalk just hours before school began at Spencer Technology Academy, police said.

Police shut down the block to investigate the shooting and search for shell casings. No arrests have been made after the shooting.

Girl knifed by masked man in Indian Head Park

Officers in southwest suburban Indian Head Park responded around 6:45 p.m. to a report of a home invasion on Briarwood Court. When they arrived, a girl who lives in the home told them she had been cut by a masked man she encountered in her kitchen.

Police warned residents to keep their doors locked and outdoor lights on after the invasion.

Police said there was no sign of forced entry. The investigation is ongoing, and no one is in custody.

Mavericks edge Bulls 99-98 for 3rd straight win

By JAY COHEN
AP Sports Writer

CHICAGO (AP) -- Wesley Matthews made a go-ahead 3-pointer from the wing with 12 seconds left, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Chicago Bulls 99-98 on Tuesday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

Six players scored in double figures for the Mavericks, including all five starters. Harrison Barnes had 20 points, Seth Curry added 18 and Dirk Nowitzki finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Dallas trailed 98-96 after Jimmy Butler made a long jumper over Matthews with 23 seconds left, but Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle decided against a timeout and Deron Williams drove into the lane before kicking out to Matthews for the 3.

Chicago had one last chance, but Dwyane Wade missed a potential game-winning jumper from the corner on his 35th birthday as time expired.

Butler finished with 24 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds for the Bulls, who had won two in a row. Robin Lopez scored 21, and Wade had 17 on 8-for-21 shooting.

Wade's fadeaway jumper gave the Bulls a 94-90 lead with about 3 1/2 minutes left, but they were unable to close out Dallas. Chicago has dropped four in a row against the Mavericks, including a 107-82 loss in their first meeting of the season.

Chicago played without forward Taj Gibson, sidelined by left ankle soreness. Paul Zipser, a second-round pick in last year's draft, started in Gibson's spot and finished with five points and three rebounds in his 13th game of the season.

Gibson, averaging 12 points and 7.3 rebounds, could return Friday night at Atlanta. He had played in every game this season.

Dallas put together a 15-4 run spanning halftime to open a 64-51 lead on Barnes' turnaround jumper with 8:38 left in the third. But Chicago kept chipping away at the deficit, and Lopez's three-point play off a pass from Butler trimmed the Mavericks' lead to 76-74 heading into the fourth.

Williams had 11 points, nine assists and six rebounds for Dallas, and reserve J.J. Barea scored 12 points. Matthews went 3 for 5 from 3-point range and finished with 11 points.

TIP-INS

Mavericks: C Andrew Bogut missed his third straight game with a right hamstring strain.

Bulls: Butler received his Olympic championship ring during a pregame ceremony. He helped the U.S. win gold in Rio de Janeiro last summer. ... F Doug McDermott, who scored a career-high 31 points in Chicago's 108-104 victory at Memphis on Sunday night, finished with seven points on 3-for-10 shooting.

UP NEXT

Mavericks: Visit Miami on Thursday night. The Mavericks have lost nine of their last 10 regular-season games against the Heat.

Bulls: Visit Atlanta on Friday night. The Bulls have dropped five in a row against the Hawks, including a 115-107 defeat at Atlanta on Nov. 9.