Heat only a game from elimination

The Chicago Bulls are one win from sending the defending NBA champions home for the summer -- in stunning style.

Ben Gordon scored 27 points, Luol Deng had 24 points and 11 rebounds and Chicago used a 15-2 fourth-quarter run to seize control in a 104-96 victory over the host Heat in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series Friday night.

Chicago leads the series 3-0 -- a cushion no team has ever wasted in NBA history -- and will go for the sweep in Miami on Sunday afternoon.

“We are outworking them right now,” Bulls center Ben Wallace said. “I think we want it a little bit more than they want it.”

Entering these playoffs, 78 teams had faced 0-3 deficits. The Heat need no one to tell them that all 78 have failed to win.

“Sunday, we’ve got to just come out and play,” Shaquille O’Neal said. “Our backs are definitely against the wall, but we can’t give up now.”

New Jersey 102, Toronto 89 -- Jason Kidd had a playoff career-high 19 assists in his 10th postseason triple-double, Vince Carter scored 37 points, and the Nets took a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series at East Rutherford, N.J.

One day after sitting out practice because of a bruised left knee, Kidd was back in the starting lineup and had 16 points and 16 rebounds. He had 14 assists by halftime and easily passed his previous best of 16, set when he was playing for Phoenix.

Kidd broke a tie with Wilt Chamberlain and moved into one with Larry Bird for second on the career postseason triple-doubles list. He is still 20 behind Magic Johnson, the career leader.

The Nets, who never trailed and led by as many as 21 points, play host to Game 4 on Sunday night.

T.J. Ford scored 27 points for the Raptors.

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