Heat Have Best Shooting Night in Franchise History, NBA Scores

All the Miami Heat did was put together the best shooting night in franchise history, an effort that matched the NBA's top performance from the floor in the last 18 years. This Joe Johnson move already looks like a winner.

The Heat shot 67.5 percent, set a season high for points and beat the Chicago Bulls 129-111 on Tuesday night. Hassan Whiteside scored a career-high 26 points and had 14 rebounds, and Johnson had 24 points in his Miami home debut.

Miami's 52-for-77 shooting was the best since Utah shot exactly that on Feb. 27, 2010, and no team has done better from the field since the Los Angeles Clippers connected on 69.3 percent of their shots on March 13, 1998.

"The game felt effortless offensively," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We're not calling specific play calls to say, `OK, this is for you, you get your shot.' It's five-man basketball, guys are making the right play and if you see somebody open you follow the fundamental law of basketball and throw it to them."

Heat guard Dwyane Wade was more succinct.

"I have no idea," Wade said.

Clearly, neither did the Bulls. It was the worst field-goal percentage defense night for Chicago since the stat started being charted by STATS in the 1983-84 season, and after the Bulls got within 108-102 with about 5 minutes left they got outscored 21-9 the rest of the way -- taking a loss that knocked them out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference.

"A terrible defensive effort on our part," Chicago's Pau Gasol said. "We knew that this team was a high-scoring team in the paint, we didn't force them to take 3s, we didn't force them to take long shots. They pretty much got everything that they wanted."

Derrick Rose returned from a three-game absence because of injury and scored 17 points for Chicago, which lost for the 17th time in 25 games. Gasol had 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and Taj Gibson added 13 points for Chicago -- but left in the third quarter with a right hamstring injury, grabbing at it and wincing in pain.

Tuesday, March 1 Scoreboard

Charlotte 126, Phoenix 92
    
Miami 129, Chicago 111

Portland 104, New York 85
    
Dallas 121, Orlando 108
    
Golden State 109, Atlanta 105 (OT)
    
Los Angeles 107, Brooklyn 101

Wednesday, March 2 Schedule (All Times Central)

Chicago at Charlotte, 6 p.m.
    
Charlotte at Philadelphia, 6 p.m.

Portland at Boston, 6:30 p.m.

Utah at Toronto, 6:30 p.m.

New Orleans at Houston, 7 p.m.

Sacramento at Memphis, 7 p.m.

Indiana at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.

Washington at Minnesota, 7 p.m.

Detroit at San Antonio, 7 p.m.

Los Angeles at Denver, 8 p.m.

Oklahoma City at Los Angeles, 9:30 p.m.