No one was more happy to see Thursday's Bulls-Heat game end than Dwyane Wade.
The Bulls guard had an emotional but fruitful return to American Airlines Arena as his new team beat his old team 98-95.
“Weird game. One of the weirdest games I’ve ever played in. I’m glad it’s over,” Wade told TNT after the game. “But I’m glad we got the win.”
Wade had a solid if unspectacular first game against the Heat. He scored 13 points on 5-for-17 shooting, but did hit two clutch free throws to give his team breathing room down the stretch. The fifth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft spent his entire career in Miami before a breakdown in contract negotiations led to him signing with his hometown Bulls in the offseason, leaving aggrieved Heat president Pat Riley and longtime teammates in his wake.
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Wade spent his day in town at his South Florida residence with his Bulls teammates. They spent time playing games, cards — anything but focusing on basketball.
“It’s so many emotions coming back here,” Wade said. “I tried hard not to think about the game.”
MORE: Riley emailed Wade ahead of return to Miami
Luckily, Wade’s strategy worked, as the Bulls earned a much-needed win after losing three of four prior to Thursday night.
Stud of the Night
Stephen Curry wasn’t sure he was going to play until late in the day after tweaking his ankle earlier this week, but he looked fine Thursday night. Curry scored 33 points, hitting 7 of 13 attempts from the 3-point line while leading the Warriors to a 125-101 win over the Nuggets.
Dud of the Night
On the other side, Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay struggled to keep up with Curry. The second-year pro scored 10 points on 4-for-15 shooting and turned the ball over three times in the loss.
Tweet of the Night
The Pelicans picked up their first win of the year and, of course, Anthony Davis led the way. Davis scored 32 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked four shots in the 112-106 victory over the Bucks.
FINALLY!!!#Pelicans#WinTheNight pic.twitter.com/11ffRQXA0i
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 11, 2016
Looking ahead
Raptors (5-2) at Hornets (6-1), 7 p.m. ET — The Hornets have quietly become the story of the young NBA season, tying the Cavs for the best start. They’ll have to contend with a Raptors squad led by DeMar DeRozan, who's playing like he hasn’t gotten paid yet; he's averaging 34.1 points per game so far.