MIAMI — The new season started as the last one ended for the Chicago Bulls — on the shoulders of DeMar DeRozan, who scored 37 points on 14-for-22 shooting in a herculean effort to beat the Miami Heat 116-108 in Wednesday’s opener.
DeRozan showed every trick in his repertoire — drawing fouls with the jerk of his shot fake, floating in for a thunderous third-quarter dunk, dropping a late 3-pointer with a defender draped over him.
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Despite a slow start, the Bulls quieted the FTX Arena crowd with a 37-27 third quarter. But the Heat closed that gap with a similar swing at the start of the fourth quarter as the Bulls coughed up the ball up three times in four minutes.
Nikola Vučević doused the last spark of a Heat comeback with 4:57 left, sinking a 3-pointer to secure anine-point margin. The Heat never got closer than eight after that.
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A decisive win against one of the projected top contenders in the Eastern Conference was reassuring for the Bulls, who played without max-contract All-Star Zach LaVine.
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LaVine was sidelined for the opener to manage an ongoing left knee injury after undergoing arthroscopic surgery in the offseason. Coach Billy Donovan said the absence was an “expected” part of LaVine’s recovery despite the guard’s insistence after practice Friday that he was “healthy” and prepared to play.
Alex Caruso started in LaVine’s place. Although he didn’t match LaVine’s typical shooting production — finishing with six points and four assists — Caruso’s experience and defensive rigor helped steady the Bulls’ primary rotation.
Ayo Dosunmu stamped his mark as the new starting point guard, opening the season with a 17-point, four-assist performance as he maneuvered the offense with increased confidence in his second season.
Goran Dragić made a splash in his Bulls debut, scoring 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting from behind the 3-point arc. Dragić led a reinvigorated second unit that provided improved flexibility in the rotations. Coby White added 10 points off the bench and Andre Drummond had nine in his first game as a Bull.
Despite the strong result for the Bulls, Patrick Williams didn’t answer many of the questions about his readiness to return as a starter after a shaky preseason.
Williams showed a flash of his potential in the third quarter, scoring his first basket off a spin move into a jumper, then sprinting full court for a transition layup. He made several other important plays — including a critical steal with a little more than seven minutes left — but struggled to assert himself. That third-quarter sequence accounted for all four of Williams’ points.
The Bulls head to Washington to face the Wizards on Friday before returning to the United Center for the home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. LaVine remains questionable for both games.
