Tempers flare as Bulls pound Heat

Instead of looking like his old self, Shaquille O'Neal simply looked old, flustered and frustrated.

O'Neal had one of his worst playoff performances, and the Chicago Bulls took advantage, beating the Miami Heat 109-90 in a game that got heated in the end.

The Bulls pulled within 2-1 in the first-round series and host Game Four on Monday (HK time).

"I guess we were just out of it today," O'Neal said.

He finished with eight points and four rebounds. He had one basket through the first three quarters and scored six meaningless points in the fourth, narrowly missing his career playoff low. O'Neal had seven points against Houston on April 19, 2004.

After averaging 24.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in the first two games, O'Neal picked up his third foul just three minutes into the second quarter and spent the rest of the half on the bench.

Miami's James Posey was ejected with three minutes 15 seconds left in the game after knocking down Kirk Hinrich on a fast break and receiving a flagrant foul.

Six seconds later, Antoine Walker fouled out and got called for a technical foul. So did Udonis Haslem, who served a one-game suspension for throwing his mouthpiece toward an official in the series opener.

"He thought we had an advantage and wanted to make a hard foul," Hinrich said of Posey. "It's just part of the game. Just got to take it."

Posey said he was simply trying to get back on defense, and Hinrich did not see him.

"He didn't see me, first of all," said Posey, who faces possible suspension. "So anything like that - a guy coming from the side - a collision will happen. That's all it was."

Miami coach Pat Riley did not rush to his players' defense afterward.

"Maybe something happened at the other end, but I don't like that," he said of Posey's foul.

"There's got to be some dignity in the game. The game was a very physical game. Both teams were playing hard."

Riley added: "When you're getting your (butt) kicked, you take it. You get on to Game Four; that's what it's about ...we began to look at the officials. That's something we don't want to do."

Chicago's Ben Gordon scored 24 points, and Hinrich finished with 22 points and 11 assists. Luol Deng added 21 points, and Andres Nocioni had 19 points and nine rebounds.