 Deng is in his third season with Chicago |
Britain's Luol Deng scored 33 points as Chicago opened their NBA play-offs first round series with a 96-91 home win over reigning champions Miami. Deng scored back-to-back baskets, the last a three-point play, to give the Bulls a 92-83 lead with 1:51 remaining.
Ben Gordon added 24 for fifth-seeded Chicago. The Heat are ranked fourth.
Deng said: "They are the champs - we know they won't go down easy. That's why we're going to play them tough. It's going to be a good series."
The Bulls had a game-high 14 rebounds by Ben Wallace and a game-high 11 assists from Gordon, but it was Deng who made the difference in the second half.
"We just did a good job moving the ball around. I was always open so I got good shots," he said.
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