CHICAGO — Goran Dragic and the Miami Heat followed the lowest-scoring first quarter in team history with the highest-scoring one of the season to beat the Chicago Bulls.

After scoring seven points in the first quarter, Miami had 38 in the second to take a 45-42 lead en route to a 100-93 victory Sunday.

Dragic scored 24 points, Wayne Ellington had 19 points and five 3-pointers off the bench and the Heat’s four reserves outscored their five starters. James Johnson added 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and fellow reserves Tyler Johnson and Kelly Olynyk scored 10 points apiece as the Heat bench produced 54 points to extend the team’s winning streak to three.

Jerian Grant led Chicago with a career-high 24 points. Denzel Valentine had 14 points and career highs of 13 rebounds and seven assists.

“They (the bench) inspired the whole team,” Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We were looking for some kind of energy, some kind of separation.

“We understand that it was going to be a 48-minute game and they played some inspiring basketball, not only in the fourth quarter but in that second quarter. That’s what really changed the momentum and brought us back into it.”

Ellington ignited the Heat after the 2-for-19 first-quarter from the field, scoring 10 points and hitting three 3-pointers.

TIMBERWOLVES 119, SUNS 108: Karl-Anthony Towns had 32 points and 12 rebounds and host Minnesota beat Phoenix, taking advantage of high-scoring Suns guard Devin Booker’s absence.

Jimmy Butler had 25 points, and Andrew Wiggins added 21 for Minnesota.

The Suns announced before the game that Booker – who scored 35 points in Phoenix’s home victory over Minnesota on Nov. 11 – would sit out because of an injured big right toe.

With Booker out, the Suns got another big game from their bench, led by Mike James with a career-high 26 points. But Minnesota started the third quarter with a 22-11 run, and Phoenix couldn’t find an offensive spark to seriously threaten the rest of the way.

T.J. Warren – who also had 35 points in the first meeting with the Timberwolves – had 18 points for the Suns, and Phoenix started its six-game trip with its third straight loss.

Minnesota built an early 14-point lead before Phoenix’s bench pulled the Suns back into it. James had eight second-quarter points to help spark a 25-15 run that gave the Suns a brief four-point lead before Wiggins got hot with three straight buckets to put the Wolves back in front.

NETS 98, GRIZZLIES 88: DeMarre Carroll scored a season-high 24 points, Trevor Booker added 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Brooklyn snapped a three-game skid with a victory at Memphis.

Joe Harris finished with 13 points for the Nets, who used a third-quarter spurt to put away the Grizzlies, who have lost eight straight.

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