James, Heat escape with 97-93 win over Bulls

• Mike Miller

(AP Photo) Chicago Bulls center Omer Asik, rear, and Miami Heat guard and Mitchell native Mike Miller scramble for a loose ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday in Miami.

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MIAMI (AP) — LeBron James scored 35 points, while reigning NBA MVP Derrick Rose wasted two chances in the final 23 seconds and the Miami Heat escaped with a 97-93 win Sunday over the Chicago Bulls.

Chris Bosh scored 24 points and added 12 rebounds for the Heat, who never trailed — but this win in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals was not easy. Dwyane Wade added 15 points for Miami.

Mitchell native and Miami Heat guard Mike Miller finished with five points, three rebounds and one assist in about 14 minutes of action.

Rose scored 34 points for Chicago, but missed a pair of foul shots that would have given Chicago the lead with 22.7 seconds left. He had made all 28 of his free throws in the fourth quarter this season.

And Rose had a shot to tie in the final seconds, but his short jumper bounced off the rim.

Bosh sealed it with two free throws with 0.1 seconds left for Miami, which has now won five straight over the Bulls — counting the last four games of last season’s East title series.

Both sides said this game was supposed to be just another regular-season matchup, one without extra meaning.

The Bulls erased what was a 12-point deficit and tied the game at 84 on a brilliant layup by Rose with 6:55 left. The Heat answered with a 10-2 run, before Rose’s three-point play with 49.1 seconds left cut the lead to 94-93.

Rose then lost the ball on a drive, but drew contact from Miami’s Udonis Haslem and went to the line with Chicago down one with 22.7 seconds left. Rose’s first hit the front of the rim and bounced away, and his second rimmed out. James grabbed the rebound and was fouled by Joakim Noah — only to miss both free throws himself.

After the second miss, Bosh appeared to emerge with the rebound, but an inadvertent whistle led to a jump ball. James outleaped Taj Gibson, getting the ball to Mario Chalmers, who made one free throw for a two-point lead.

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