Bulls-Heat Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Apr 18 2012 11:54PM

The Chicago Bulls know they can beat the Miami Heat without Derrick Rose. They might need to do it again without the reigning MVP and their other All-Star.

Regardless of who is in their lineup, the Bulls have a chance to secure the top seed in the Eastern Conference if they can avoid a fourth consecutive road loss to the Heat on Thursday night.

Two nights after suffering a surprising 87-84 home loss to Washington without Rose (foot) and Luol Deng (ribs), Chicago (47-15) bounced back minus their All-Star duo to win 100-68 at Charlotte on Wednesday.

That victory came minutes before Miami (44-17) won its fourth straight game, 96-72 over Toronto. The Bulls have a 2 1/2-game lead over the Heat in the East, and a victory Thursday would secure Chicago the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage throughout the conference playoffs since they would hold the tiebreaker should the Heat match their record at season's end.

"You try to put as many things in your favor as possible," coach Tom Thibodeau told the Bulls' official website. "Is (the No. 1 seed) a must? I always think if you can get it, you get it. If not, whatever your circumstances are you make the best of those circumstances."

The Bulls' current circumstances revolve around Rose, who has missed the last two games with his latest injury and 25 this season.

"Of course I would want to come back as soon as possible to get my rhythm going," said Rose, who has watched his teammates go 17-8 without him. "My biggest thing is my heath now. Just getting me healthy I should be able to iron out the wrinkles.

"I would want to play as soon as possible. I miss the game."

Deng, meanwhile, feels confident he will return after also missing the last two. However, he's totaled 27 points on 10-of-26 shooting in two games versus Miami this season.

Without Rose, Chicago won 106-102 over Miami at home March 14. The Bulls also pulled out a 96-86 overtime win over the Heat last Thursday despite two points on 1-of-13 shooting from Rose.

He scored 34 points in Chicago's 97-93 loss at Miami on Jan. 29. Including the postseason, the Bulls have averaged 90.3 points and shot 41.6 percent during a three-game skid at Miami.

Chicago will have Rip Hamilton in the lineup after he scored 22 points for the second straight game Wednesday. Hamilton scored 11 on just 4-of-16 shooting at Miami in January and finished with seven against the Heat last week.

"We just want to get out there and hopefully get a win," Hamilton said. "Miami has a lot of special players. It won't be easy."

With stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh given the night off, LeBron James scored 28 points and the Heat shot 52.6 percent Wednesday to improve to an NBA-best 26-4 at home.

While Wade and Bosh are expected to be ready for this contest. James has played all but one game while averaging 27.1 points to contend for another MVP award.

"It's just how I am," said James, whose 37.6 minutes per game ranks among the most in the league. "When I go on the floor, if I'm in uniform, I'm trying to play at the highest level. I don't try to take minutes off or take games off when I can. ... I just want to be the best."

James has averaged 33.3 points on 51.4 percent shooting versus Chicago this season. He had 35 and 11 rebounds in the January home victory.

Heat top Bulls 83-72, tighten East race

By TIM REYNOLDS
Posted Apr 20 2012 12:26AM

MIAMI (AP) The earliest Miami and Chicago could meet again is Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Good thing. The tempers could use a little time to cool down. And after a game filled with shoves and takedowns, the race for the No. 1 seed in the East is still going strong.

LeBron James had 27 points and 11 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 18 points and Miami tightened up the race in the East by beating the Bulls 83-72 on Thursday night in a scuffle-filled win that pulled the Heat within 1 1/2 games of Chicago in the conference standings.

"This is what the postseason is all about," James said. "Both teams struggling to score offensively, and defensively, two very good defensive teams. It's a possession game. That's what happens in the postseason. The game slows down. Not many fast-break points. You've got to work for every attempt, work for every shot."

Mario Chalmers scored 16 points and Udonis Haslem grabbed 10 rebounds for Miami, which held the Bulls to a season-low point total. The Bulls had been 23-0 this season when holding teams to 86 points or less.

John Lucas scored 16 points for Chicago, which was again without reigning MVP Derrick Rose because of injuries. Joakim Noah had 15 points and 10 rebounds, Luol Deng added 11 points and Carlos Boozer had 10 for the Bulls, who split four games with Miami this season and could have clinched the top spot in the East with a win on Thursday.

"We wanted it bad, but they wanted it more," Noah said. "That can't happen."

The teams combined for four individual technical fouls, two flagrant fouls and Miami reserve James Jones was ejected.

But above all else, Miami decided this one with defense. The Bulls went up 21-20 on a layup by Deng with 3:36 left in the first quarter, making them 10 of 14 from the field at that point. They shot 15 for 56 - 27 percent - the rest of the way.

Chicago (47-16) has games with Dallas, Indiana and Cleveland left, while Miami (45-17) still has matchups with Washington (twice), Houston and Boston.

Miami won despite playing without Chris Bosh, sidelined for the second straight night to rest minor bumps and bruises.

"This season's been a long, short year," Wade said. "But this is the time of the year we all love and enjoy."

In case anyone forgot that the Heat and Bulls don't particularly care for one another, the refresher courses came often in this one.

The first real salvo came with 6:05 left in the first half, when Jones was ejected after being assessed a flagrant-2 for excessive contact against Noah while trying for a rebound. Jones stretched out both arms to move Noah out of the way, making contact around the head.

By the end of the game, that play seemed like a love tap.

"Every time we play them that's how it's going to be," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "You have to have the mental toughness to get through all of that."

Wade and Chicago guard Richard Hamilton - rivals for years - raised the level of angst a few more notches early in the third quarter.

Hamilton led with his elbow and shoulder to create some space, and Wade took exception - so he delivered an elbow and shoulder back, sending the Bulls' guard sprawling to the court. The jousting then turned verbal, enough to merit a technical foul for each, plus a flagrant-1 on Wade.

"Two people that are trying to out-will each other and fight to help their team win," Hamilton said.

And then things really got hot a few minutes later, not long after James was pulled down under the basket. James set a screen to free Chalmers from some pressure and was run into by Lucas, who gives up 9 inches and 85 pounds to the two-time NBA MVP. Predictably, Lucas went flying. Even more predictably, Lucas - who was leapfrogged for a dunk by James in Chicago's first trip to Miami this season - got angry.

"I knew I had him," James said.

After Deng fouled Chalmers to stop the play, and reopened a cut over his own left eye in the process, Lucas ran at James and the other eight players on the court at the time quickly converged on the area. It took referees about 5 minutes to sort out the mess, which only resulted in a personal foul on Deng and technicals on Lucas and James (who, upon hearing his name announced, shouted, "For what?).

James shrugged off the next hit, a hard foul by Chicago's Omer Asik about a half-minute later, converting a three-point play in the process.

"It was a physical, competitive game against two teams that defend," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "That tends to lead to a little bit more passion. And nobody was really backing down."

NOTES: The Bulls were 2 for 16 from 3-point range, meaning Miami's last two opponents have gone a combined 3 for 32 from beyond the arc. ... James made his first five shots, making him 23 for 27 over a span of parts of three games, starting late in the third quarter of Monday's game at New Jersey (6-7) followed by Wednesday's win over Toronto (12-15). ... Neither team led by more than three points in the final 10:54 of the first half. ... Jones' ejection was the first of his nine-year career, according to STATS LLC.

Notebook: Heat 83, Bulls 72

Posted Friday April 20, 2012 12:14AM

By Shandel Richardson, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: The Miami Heat kept their hopes of earning the Eastern Conference's top seed by defeating the Chicago Bulls 83-72 Thursday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

Forward LeBron James led all scorers with 27 points while Dwyane Wade contributed 18 points and five assists. The Heat were playing without forward Chris Bosh, who missed his second straight game with what coach Erik Spoelstra termed as "bumps and bruises."

The Heat's Big Two more than made up for Bosh's absence, especially James. He continued his pursuit of a third regular-season MVP trophy with yet another strong performance. James shot 8-of-18 from the field, grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and had six assists.

The Bulls, playing without injured guard Derrick Rose (ankle), could have clinched the top seed with a victory. They still lead by the race by 1.5 games. Chicago trailed by as many as 13 in the first half before making a game of it in the fourth quarter.

Chicago had four players in double-figures, led by John Lucas' 16 points off the bench. The season-series ends tied at 2.

QUOTABLE: "Typical Eastern Conference basketball game in late April. It was a good win. Both teams had to fight though some injuries. Everybody who was out there obviously was competing."
-- Spoelstra

THE STAT: The Heat held the Bulls to 35 percent shooting, including 2 of 16 from the 3-point line.

TURNING POINT: The Heat dominated the last three quarters defensively. After the Bulls made 10 of their first 14 shots, they closed 15 of 56 from the field.

HOT: Hard not to put James here, but the Heat received a strong contribution from guard Mario Chalmers. He scored 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting, giving the Heat the edge at point guard.

NOT: Chicago's Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer combined to shoot 9 of 26 from the field. The Bulls' frontcourt failed to take advantage of Bosh's absence.

GOOD MOVE: The Heat bench finally showed up against the Bulls. After being the weak link in the two losses in the series, it played Chicago to a standstill. Joel Anthony and Shane Battier were solid defensively.

BAD MOVES: Getting Wade mad in the third quarter when he was called for a technical foul for pushing Richard Hamilton to the ground. It was bad news for the Bulls because it seemed to ignite Wade. Heat reserve James Jones was ejected in the first half for committing a flagrant-2 foul with a two-handed shot to the head of Joakim Noah away from the ball.

NOTABLE: Heat center Ronny Turiaf did not play for the fifth straight because of a hamstring injury. Miami center Dexter Pittman made his second consecutive start, the third of his career. Chicago's 72 points were a season-low. The Bulls lost for the first time when holding an opponent under 85 points. They are now 21-1.

UP NEXT: For the Heat, Saturday vs. Wizards, Sunday vs. Rockets, Tuesday @ Celtics. For the Bulls, Saturday vs. Mavericks, Wednesday @ Pacers, Thursday vs. Cavs.

• Bulls: Rose
• Heat: Bosh, Turiaf

• Bulls: Hamilton, Lucas
• Heat: James, Wade

• Lead Changes: 17
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
• Officials: #24 Mike Callahan, #42 Eric Lewis, #50 Olandis Poole
• Attendance: 20008
• Duration: 2:35