Heat forward LeBron James drives into the Bulls' defense for a difficult layup during Wednesday's game. (Photo: Rob Grabowski, USA TODAY Sports) CHICAGO — The streak lived a good life, a great life actually. Born Feb. 3, the streak covered 27 consecutive Miami Heat victories and it lasted 52 days, destroying most everything in its path. The streak traveled well, too, crisscrossing North America in visiting some of the finest cities in the USA and Canada: Toronto, Oklahoma City, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Cleveland. The streak spent the rest of the time in cosmopolitan Miami. It lived a fine life, indeed. However, the streak met its demise against the shorthanded Chicago Bulls, who were missing not only star point guard Derrick Rose, but All-Star center Joakim Noah, starting guard Richard Hamilton and key reserve guard Marco Belinelli. The Bulls took an early double-digit lead, squandered it, got it back and held on for a 101-97 victory Wednesday, ending the Heat's 27-game winning streak, the second-longest in NBA history. The Heat fell six wins shy of the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers' 33 wins in a row. BOX SCORE: Bulls 101, Heat 97 RIP, Heat streak. The Bulls received strong performances from forwards Luol Deng (26 points) and Carlos Boozer (21 points, 17 rebounds) and guard-forward Jimmy Butler (17 points). Forward Taj Gibson's baseline jumper with 2:19 left in the game gave Chicago a 94-85 lead. Chicago, which had not been plays its normally strong defense lately, held the Heat offense down with physical play. Some of the Heat's closest calls during the streak were marked by uninspired starts, and a slow start finally doomed the Heat. The Heat trailed by 13 points in the first and second quarters and didn't get much help from any player except All-Star LeBron James. Second-chance and fastbreak points allowed the Bulls — 39-31 and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference — to pull off the upset. James finished with 32 points, seven rebounds and two assists. As great as he is, James couldn't win this game by himself. Miami had been receiving strong play from its second unit, but its bench scored just 17 points. Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who played after missing the previous two games with a sore right knee, had 16 points. Chris Bosh posted 21 points, but no other Heat player reached double figures. Now, the Heat, who embraced the streak for its rarity and sustained excellence, can focus on its main goal: winning a second consecutive NBA championship. Story Highlights
Source : http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2013/03/27/miami-heat-winning-streak-chicago-bulls-lebron-james-luol-deng/2026741/