"I’ve always said fun seasons don’t have to end with a title, and this was one," writes Sam Smith in his weekly Ask Sam mailbag. "Only one wins. But not many can walk away saying it was a productive season. The Bulls certainly can." >> Open the mailbag

Sam Smith: The 2012-13 season probably had to finish like it did for the Bulls Wednesday in a series closing 94-91 loss to the Miami Heat, impressive in their resolve and refusal to yield against long odds while an if only and a coulda and shoulda away from yet another improbable victory. >> Playoff Central | Box score | Discuss the game | Blogs.Bulls.com

Benny the Bull topped the 2013 list of “America’s Most Popular Sports Mascots” according to the annual survey of fans conducted by The Marketing Arm’s Davie Brown Index. The results are based on research measuring fans’ views of sports mascots according to the following criteria: awareness, likability, attention-getting, photo-friendliness, interaction, and fun.