Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls: Live Blog, Scores, Highlights and Analysis
By on January 29, 2012
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Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
The biggest game so far this season is ready to tip off and we'll be following it here.
The Bulls will be facing the Heat as the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, if not the entire NBA, play a rematch of last season's Eastern Conference Finals.
While the Heat will be at full strength, the Bulls will be without two key players. Luol Deng will be out with a torn ligament in his left wrist and C.J. Watson will be sitting out with a sore wrist.
The key to the game for the Bulls will be to control the paint. Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah have been playing their best ball together of late, and they'll need to be huge today to get past the Heat, especially without their frontcourt mate Deng.
They'll also need their reigning MVP Derrick Rose and Ronnie Brewer, who will starting in place of Deng, to be able to hit their threes. The Heat have been outdone from long range in every one of their losses.
For the Heat, the key will be to rebound, rebound, rebound. The Bulls have the best rebounding differential in the NBA and the best offensive rebound percentage.
They'll also need to challenge the Bulls' shots. The Bulls are 13-0 when they have a higher field goal percentage than their opponents, but only 4-4 when their opponents shoot better.
This has a lot to do with their rebounding. To beat the Bulls you have to contest their shots and then go get the ones they miss.
One other thing to watch for is that the Heat have a couple of players who are great at drawing fouls in Udonis Haslem and Shane Battier, and Carlos Boozer can tend to charge a lot trying to get to the rim. Boozer has to be careful to not get into early foul trouble.
Feel free to chime in at any point, whichever side you're on.
It should be a great game! Here's to watching.
I suppose I should do some kind of wrap up here shouldn't I?
What did we learn? We learned that without their second best player, and without their backup point guard, they Bulls came two seconds away from beating the Heat on the road when the Heat were at full strength. If nothing else this proves that the Bulls are on par with the Heat, much to the contrary opinion of many a Heat fan.
For the Heat, with the exception of the missed free throws, James played well down the stretch. It could be a pivotal game for him. Last year he was more clutch than advertised, but he's had his fourth quarter struggles this year.
As for Rose, yes he missed those free throws, but let's not forget that he scored all the points that got the Bulls back into the game. It's an anomaly.
The other thing that I thought was interesting was when the Bulls went to the zone in the firs quarter and shut down the Heat for a while with it. I'd never seen the Bulls run a zone before. You wonder if that might re-emerge during the conference finals (standard disclaimer: assuming they both make it that far).
Bottom line: I can't wait for the next one.
One last thing, whatever negative thing you want to say to/about Rose I can assure you of one thing. He's already said it to himself 1,000 times and meant it more.
Thanks for watching with me here, and thanks to both the Heat and Bulls fans for your comments.
Well, sorry for my absence. The drama caught me there. It looks like the game is going to go to the Heat, but all things considering they didn't have Deng or Watson and they came that close to making a shot that would have put them up on the road. I can't complain.
Rose!!!! How can you miss those!?!?!!?
And one for Derrick Rose, who just makes a spectacular play.
Wow! How many shots can they miss!?!?! Then, finally, Carlos "Where You Been All Game" Boozer puts it in.
That was a clean block by Gibson.
Unforced turnovers, missed layups and missed rebounding opportunities have cost the Bulls this about 20 points.
Rip has done a good job on guarding Wade this game. Wade has not done much, but it's interesting that the Heat are going to him right now, and not James, who has been huge.
My guess is that Wade got the T for something he said.
I knew it was going to happen at some point this game. Good job by Haslem to draw the foul.
The Bulls don't have a three-point shooter? Heard of Kyle Korver Mr. Van Gundy?
Korver again! Kyle Korver DPOY!
Will they put LeBron on Rose now? Rose 31 points, James, 29 points.
All tied up now.
I am not being facetious when I say Korver's defense is leading this comeback.
Oh my goodness! A beautiful floater by Rose.
Gibson cuts the lead to two.
Was that Carlos Boozer's son shouting "Let's go Heat?"
Who was that guy that Rose just passed the ball to? He reminded me a little of Carlos Boozer.
Does James get an assist for that?
Considering the Heat are at full strength, and the Bulls are without Watson and Deng, I see no reason to think that the Bulls can't run with the Heat for a seven game series.
I knew we would be missing Deng today. I didn't realize we'd be missing Boozer too.
I just realized every time I load a new video it replaces the last one. Sorry.
What is the duplicate article?
Why is this article offensive?
Where is this article plagiarized from?
Why is this article poorly edited?
Chicago Bulls: Like this team?
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