Miami @ Chicago preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 30, 2019 ) Chicago 105, Miami 89

The Miami Heat are off to their best start in six seasons and go after a season-high fifth straight victory Friday night when they start a back-to-back set on the road against the struggling Chicago Bulls. The Heat, who also visit Philadelphia on Saturday, have won the last four games by an average of 14.8 points after rolling to a 124-100 victory over Cleveland on Wednesday to improve their home record to 6-0.

“We can’t keep surprising people,” Miami’s leading scorer Jimmy Butler (18.7) told reporters after Wednesday’s triumph. “We’re for real. I don’t think anybody wants to play against us and that’s the way we want to keep it.” The Heat have matched the best 13-game start in franchise history (10-3) with a balanced offense that led the league in field goal percentage (48.2) and a defense (103.7 points allowed per game) that ranked sixth in the NBA entering Thursday. Chicago has not won consecutive games this season, but did show some life Wednesday when it blitzed Detroit 109-89 to snap a three-game slide and improve to 3-5 at home. “(Limiting) runs and closing out games have been an issue for us,” Bulls coach Jim Boylen told the Chicago Sun Times. “That’s what we talk about, and what we need to do better, what I need to do better, and how I can support this group of guys from my seat. That’s what’s important.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Miami), NBCS Chicago

ABOUT THE HEAT (10-3): Second-year pro Duncan Robinson stepped up Wednesday with a career-high 29 points and drained a franchise-record seven of his nine 3-pointers in the second quarter. “I found myself open and my teammates put me in good position,” Robinson told the Sun-Sentinel. “Sometimes when you just have it going like that, it just feels like it’s throwing it in the ocean. Obviously, every night it’s not going to be like that, but you’ve got to take advantage of it when it is.” Robinson is one of seven players averaging in double figures scoring (11.2) while Bam Adebayo chips in 13.8 per game to go along with a team-high 10.2 boards.

ABOUT THE BULLS (5-10): Power forward Lauri Markkanen poured in a team-high 24 points in Wednesday’s win on 7-of-14 from the field after making just 15-of-51 over the previous five contests. “I thought (Markkanen) was aggressive, I thought he ran the floor, I thought he got real good ones at the rim early where he ran the floor,” Boylen told reporters. “I thought his effort was really good and he locked in defensively.” Markkanen averages 14.8 points overall, second only to guard Zach LaVine (19.8, 4.1 assists), and rookie backcourt mate Coby White (13.1) is also contributing on the offensive end while forward Wendell Carter Jr. (13.0 points) tops the team in rebounding (10.0).

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Chicago F Otto Porter Jr. (11.2 points) will be held out for at least two more weeks with a bone bruise on his left foot.

2. Miami’s Erik Spoelstra (533-366) is slated to coach his 900th game for the franchise Friday.

3. The Heat took two of the three meetings last season with the road team winning all three.

PREDICTION: Heat 112, Bulls 102