The Chicago Bulls squeezed out an overtime victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday night and, wouldn't you know it, a LeBron James fourth quarter mishap was a crucial turning point.

James gave away what appeared to be a sure road win over the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed by missing a critical late free throw in regulation. He went to the line with a little over 11 seconds remaining after Bulls forward Luol Deng was forced to foul him with Miami leading by two points, 84-82, and holding possession after recovering a jump ball.

Had James made both free throws, Miami would have had a 4-point lead with 11 seconds remaining. Instead, he missed the front end of a pair, opening the door for the dramatic Bulls comeback.



Moments later, down 3, Bulls guard C.J. Watson nailed a 3-pointer to tie the game at 84 and force overtime. Here's the video via YouTube user nbaus3030. Watson was playing in place of reigning NBA MVP Derrick Rose, who shot just 1-for-13 in 25 minutes in his first game back after an ankle injury.



The Bulls went on to dominate in overtime and secured a 96-86 victory at the United Center.

James finished with a team-high 30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. He shot 11-for-24 from the field and 5-for-7 from the charity stripe. Miami drops to 40-17 with the loss.