MIAMI - They got their rings before the game, then a challenge as it was winding down.
The Miami Heat responded to both.
Shane Battier went 4 for 4 from 3-point range, including a critical one from the right corner with 1:33 remaining, and the Heat wasted most of what was a 25-point lead before holding off Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls 107-95 on Tuesday night in the season-opener for both teams.
“You never know what to expect when you’re trying to keep the main thing the main thing, and that’s the game,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But you can’t deny the emotions and what a special moment it was for everybody in the organization because we know how difficult that was and how harrowing that was last season. So it was great to actually get the win after that to cap off a very goodnight for the Miami Heat.”
LeBron James had 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds for Miami, which got its 2013 NBA championship rings and raised the franchise’s third banner in a pregame ceremony. The Heat trailed 9-2 early, then outscored Chicago 52-24 over the remainder of the first half.
Rose finished with 12 points in 34 minutes in his first game since a serious knee injury in April 2012. Carlos Boozer had 31 points and seven rebounds for Chicago, which got within eight points in the final minutes.
But Battier’s right-corner 3 - a staple for the Heat - snuffed out the comeback, and Miami wasn’t in trouble again.
“We’re not trying to pull close. There were a lot of corrections that we have to make,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It always comes back to the same thing - our defense and our rebounding. And if we could have taken better care of the ball early on, we would have been in position to win down the stretch.”
Chris Bosh scored 16 points, Battier finished with 14 and Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers each had 13 for Miami, which had seven players score in double figures. Ray Allen and Norris Cole each scored 11 for Miami.
“If anything, I’m disappointed in the loss. My performance, I can easily change that by making shots and keep down the turnovers,” Rose said
By halftime, Miami was rolling, up 54-33 - putting the game on pace for a 108-66 final, which would have exactly matched the score of the game in 2006 when Chicago came into Miami and spoiled the Heat franchise’s first ring night.
Not this time, though the Bulls made it plenty interesting down the stretch.
A layup by Butler with 5:34 left got the Bulls within 15, and after he missed the ensuing free throw, the rebound made its way to Kirk Hinrich - who made a 3-pointer that cut Miami’s lead to 91-79.
Hinrich fouled out on the ensuing Miami possession. Wade scored seconds later, the Heat followed that with a stop, and James simply overpowered Luol Deng in the post on the next trip to restore the 16-point lead.
But again, the Bulls weren’t done, cutting the lead to 95-87 on a drive by Boozer with 2:47 left. They would get no closer, and James raved about Miami’s balance.
“It’s a team game,” James said. “That’s what this team is put together for.”
Rose’s start was promising early, with two drives for impressive scores. The Bulls led 15-10 when Rose checked out for the first time with 3:36 left in the opening quarter.
When he returned, the lead was gone for good. The Heat outscored the Bulls 13-3 in Rose’s first stint on the bench, turning a five-point lead into a five-point deficit, and by then the Heat were off and running.
PACERS 97, MAGIC 87
INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana fans gave Victor Oladipo a warm welcome to the NBA on Tuesday night.
Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder.
Paul George’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night match up.
“We’ve got to win the battles, win the tough games and we’ve got to win the games that we should win,” George said. “We have to take care of business early and not rely on the end of the season to start playing well and start getting a streak going. We have to start a streak early.”
They got off to a good start Tuesday - even though it was a little ragged for a team that might have the best chance of unseating two-time defending NBA champion Miami.
Indiana committed 20 turnovers and gave up 13 offensive rebounds against the worst team in the league last season.
George finished with 24 points, six rebounds and five assists. Lance Stephenson had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Roy Hibbert scored just eight points but had 16 rebounds and seven blocks and the rebuilt bench played a huge role, scoring all but four points during the decisive run.
NBA scores
TUESDAY’S GAMES Indiana 97, Orlando 87 Miami 107, Chicago 95 LA Clippers at LA Lakers, (n)
TODAY’S GAMES All times Central Miami at Philadelphia, 6 p.m.
Brooklyn at Cleveland, 6 p.m.
Boston at Toronto, 6 p.m.
Washington at Detroit, 6:30 p.m.
Milwaukee at New York, 6:30 p.m.
Orlando at Minnesota, 7 p.m.
Charlotte at Houston, 7 p.m.
Indiana at New Orleans, 7 p.m.
Atlanta at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
Memphis at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Utah, 8 p.m.
Portland at Phoenix, 9 p.m.
Denver at Sacramento, 9 p.m.
LA Lakers at Golden State, 9:30 p.m.
Sports, Pages 21 on 10/30/2013