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Heat close in on clinching, top Bulls 103-92

Josh Richardson scored 22 points, Goran Dragic added 17 and the Miami Heat trimmed their magic number for clinching a playoff berth to one by topping the Chicago Bulls 103-92 on Thursday night.
 
Justise Winslow scored 13 points and Kelly Olynyk finished with 11 for the Heat (41-35), who've won a season-best eight consecutive home games and moved within a half-game of Washington for the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
 
Bulls center Robin Lopez was ejected after picking up a pair of technicals with 8:43 remaining, ending his 13-point, six-rebound night. The Bulls dropped their seventh straight, making this the third losing streak that lasted at least that long for Chicago this season.
 
David Nwaba scored 15 points, Noah Vonleh added 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Bobby Portis ended up with 13 points and 16 rebounds for Chicago. Justin Holiday added 13 points for Chicago, which shot only 37 percent.
 
Miami led most of the way, trailing for only 14 seconds in the opening quarter. The Bulls didn't make it easy, getting within four points late in the third and cutting what was a 19-point deficit down to 12 with a 7-0 run right after Lopez got ejected.
 
But Olynyk snuffed out any doubt with six straight points down the stretch for Miami, part of a 48-point effort by the Heat bench.
 
Heat center Hassan Whiteside returned from a nine-game absence with a hip problem, scoring eight points and grabbing seven rebounds in just under 20 minutes.
 

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