The Miami Heat thought to have had the perfect strategy late in the game to save their season -- foul the worst Chicago Bulls free throw shooter even if he didn't have the ball. Ben Wallace, who shot 41 percent from the charity stripe during the regular season, sank four consecutive free throws in the last three minutes to ice Chicago's 92-79 triumph and a first-round sweep of the 2006 champion Heat.

Ben Gordon recorded 24 points and Luol Deng tallied 22 and 12 rebounds for the Bulls, who advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1998.

Miami became the first defending champions to lose in the first round since the San Antonio Spurs in 2000 and the first to be swept in the same round since the Philadelphia Warriors in 1957.

Dwyane Wade registered 24 points and 10 assists, while Shaquille O'Neal cipped in with 16 points and seven rebounds. James Posey grabbed 18 boards.

Chicago will take on a familiar foe in the second round, the Detroit Pistons, which it defeated three of four times during the regular season.

 

October 31, 2006

Bulls 108, Heat 66 (F)
Kirk Hinrich dropped in 26 points to power the Bulls past the defending champion Heat on opening night.

 

December 27, 2006

Bulls 109, Heat 103 (F)
Ben Gordon scored a career-high 40 points to carry the Bulls over the short-handed Heat.

 

January 27, 2007

Bulls 100, Heat 97 (F)
Ben Gordon posted 34 points and seven assists, Kirk Hinrich scored 26, and the Chicago Bulls defeated the Heat.

 

March 7, 2007

Heat 103, Bulls 70 (F)
Shaquille O'Neal had 24 points, nine rebounds and a season-high eight assists as the Heat put together a huge second-half run to beat the visiting Bulls.