MIAMI -- In their fitful, laborious search for a general manager, the Miami Dolphins finally found someone to say yes: Dennis Hickey. The longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers executive accepted the job Sunday, ending a search that lasted nearly three weeks. Hickeys hiring came after the Dolphins were rejected by several candidates. New England Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio and Tennessee Titans vice-president of player personnel Lake Dawson turned down job offers only hours before Miami reached out to Hickey, while Cleveland Browns assistant general manager Ray Farmer withdrew from consideration Thursday. Several others declined invitations to interview as a replacement for Jeff Ireland, whose six-year stint as general manager ended Jan. 7 when he and owner Stephen Ross agreed to part ways. Hickey has been with the Buccaneers for 18 seasons, including the past three as director of player personnel. He was their director of college scouting for six years. He was not interviewed for Tampa Bays GM job when it became open after this season. The Bucs won four division titles and one Super Bowl championship during his time with them, but went 28-52 over the past five years and had spotty draft results during that span. Hickey was among eight candidates interviewed by Miami, with Ross aide Matt Higgins and executive vice-president of football administration Dawn Aponte helping the owner with the screening process. The other finalist was Dolphins assistant general manager Brian Gaine, who worked under Ireland. Some candidates and potential candidates expressed concern about the Dolphins power structure, including the role of Aponte, who clashed with Ireland. In a news release to announce the hiring, the Dolphins said Hickey will oversee all aspects of football operations and report directly to Ross. Coach Joe Philbin will continue to report directly to Ross as well, while Apontes place in the chain of command wasnt spelled out. Ross loyalty to Philbin, who is 15-17 in two seasons with Miami, may have been a stumbling block for some candidates. In a statement, Ross cited Hickeys willingness to work with Philbin as a factor in the hiring. "When we started the search, I outlined qualities that I was looking for in this position," Ross said. "These included a collaborative team-first person who can work with Joe, demonstrated player evaluation expertise, and someone who is open-minded and creative. Dennis fit all of these criteria." The Titans Dawson released a statement saying he had declined Miamis job offer. "I felt Stephen is a great owner, passionate and wants to win, but the details of the offer didnt align with my vision," Dawson said. "I turned it down because it wasnt an ideal fit for my family and me." So Ross turned to Hickey, who was interviewed for the first time 10 days into the search. The protracted process reinforced Ross reputation for having difficulty closing deals with the Dolphins. In the past, the New York real estate billionaire has unsuccessfully courted Peyton Manning, Jim Harbaugh and Jeff Fisher. Hickeys task will be to upgrade the roster after Miami collapsed late in the season to blow a playoff berth and finish 8-8. The Dolphins havent been above .500 since 2008, the longest such stretch in franchise history. The tumultuous 2013 season included a locker-room bullying scandal that drew national scrutiny, and a report on the NFL investigation into the case will be released after the Super Bowl. "The Dolphins certainly have talented players," Hickey said in a statement, "and I am eager to hit the ground running with our personnel and coaching staffs. We will all work together to construct a team that will make our organization and fans proud." Hickey will be introduced at a news conference Tuesday. AP Sports Writer Teresa M. Walker in Nashville, Tenn. contributed to this report. 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Davis had 14 points and 11 rebounds despite playing with a sore left shoulder, powering Orlando to a 54-45 edge on the glass in just its second win in the last 10 games. Vucevic finished with 10 points and 11 boards. Orlando (8-17) closed out a nine-game stretch that included eight road games. It begins a six-game homestand on Wednesday night against Utah. "Im really looking forward to our personal home stretch back in Orlando and hopefully putting a streak together for once," said Afflalo, who is averaging a career-high 21.6 points on 47 per cent shooting. The Bulls (9-14) had a chance to win despite shooting 34.6 per cent from the field during another terrible offensive performance. Trailing 81-79 with 6.8 seconds left, Joakim Noah made a terrific bounce pass to a streaking Luol Deng, but he missed the easy layup. "I had a good angle and it was a great pass by Jo," Deng said. "I missed the shot and I knew I missed it when it left my hand. It was just a bad, bad miss and my fault." Davis grabbed the rebound and made two foul shots to give the Magic a four-point lead that proved crucial when Mike Dunleavy made a 3-pointer from half court as time expired. Deng had 26 points and eight rebounds for Chicago, which has dropped five of six. D.J. Augustin and Dunleavy had 14 points apiece, and Noah finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. "Its not pretty right now," Dunleavy said. "We are battling, we are trying, we just keep coming up short." Jameer Nelson had 14 points and seven assists for Orlando, which had lost its last five games against Chicago. The Magic appeared to be on their way to an easy victory when Vucevic and Afflalo made consecutive jumpers to make it 63-46 with 5:17 left in the third. Afflalo had 13 pointss in the period.dddddddddddd But the Bulls started to pick up their play at the end of the quarter. Augustin, Dunleavy and Deng each made a 3-pointer during a 13-2 run that trimmed Orlandos lead to 65-59 with 58.1 seconds left, capped by an emphatic two-handed jam by Taj Gibson over Vucevic. "Its tough. Were losing to teams that were supposed to be beating," Gibson said. "Thats the way I feel. I just feel like we have to do better, including myself. This one hurts." The Bulls played without point guard Kirk Hinrich for the second straight game due to back stiffness. Coach Tom Thibodeau said he hopes Hinrich will be able to return soon. Marquis Teague replaced Hinrich in the starting lineup, but Chicagos offence looked much better when Augustin was on the court. Augustin, who signed with the Bulls on Friday and started the second half, had eight assists in 37 minutes, while Teague was scoreless in 11 minutes. Thibodeau said he thought about starting Augustin, but he wasnt sure if he was comfortable enough with the Bulls schemes. "I didnt want him to be tentative," Thibodeau said. "I thought he was much more aggressive. I liked the effort that he put in defensively. I think there are things he can do better, but I thought he made great effort and I think thats important." Davis injured his shoulder in the fourth quarter of Orlandos 101-98 loss at Oklahoma City on Sunday. He was a game-time decision against the Bulls, but he made two big jumpers in the final period while playing 33 minutes. "Im just proud of our guys, to go back home with a win," he said. Davis said his shoulder loosened up during the game and he just tried to give it everything he had. He also said he wanted to play against Bulls forward Carlos Boozer. "I like playing against Boozer. He really fires my engine," Davis said with a wry grin. "Just his whole attitude really gets under me." NOTES: Magic rookie Victor Oladipo, who played his college ball at Indiana, received a warm ovation when he was introduced with the starting lineup. ... The Bulls waived G Mike James before the game. He played 37 1/2 minutes over seven games with Chicago. ... These teams play again on Jan. 15 in Orlando and April 14 back in Chicago. ... Boozer had six points on 3 -for-10 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds. ' ' '