Heat vs. Bulls: Video Highlights, Twitter Reaction, Grades and More
In a statement game, where neither team actually made a statement, the Chicago Bulls survived the Miami Heat, 96-86, in OT.
The win was made possible thanks to a cold-blooded three from C.J. Watson with 2.2 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime.
From there, it was complete Bulls domination.
The story of the game was the ineffectiveness of reigning MVP Derrick Rose. After missing 11 out of the past 12 games, Rose looked like a shell of his former self en route to two points on 1-of-13 shooting from the floor. Down the stretch, he had an air ball and turnover that could've potentially been absolute back-breakers late in the fourth.
To everyone’s surprise, it was LeBron James that hit one of the biggest shots of the game. With just under a minute remaining, James knocked down a three to give his team an 83-81 lead. After a missed three on the other end, it was all but over…or so we thought.
After Watson nailed the three, all of the momentum resided with the home team, and that clearly carried over to the extra frame.
What kept the Bulls in the game with an ailing Rose was the infamous “Bench Mob” that brings incredible energy to the table each and every night.
Watson picked up the slack for Rose with 16 points and nine assists, and Kyle “Automatic” Korver drilled 5-of-6 threes for 17 huge points. Taj Gibson may have only had 11 points and five rebounds, but the Bulls outscored the Heat by a ridiculous 38 points when he was on the floor.
As for the Heat, it’s another blown fourth-quarter lead. LeBron was nonexistent for the vast majority of the fourth, as the team once again relied on Dwyane Wade to bail them out.
It didn’t happen.
Video Highlights
One of the most exciting parts of LeBron’s game is watching him chase down guards on the fast break to swat their shots into the bleachers. In the third quarter against Rose, it was off the backboard.
Like bloopers?
In the second quarter, Wade was trying to get back on defense to ensure Luol Deng didn’t get an easy bucket and ended up shoving him right into the Bulls' cheerleaders. I can think of plenty of worse places to land.
Twitter Reaction
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune made the observation that C.J. Miles was subbed in for Derrick Rose quicker than usual on Thursday night:
"CJ in for DRose earlier than usual in both halfs. #Bulls
— K.C Johnson (@KCJHoop) April 13, 2012"
The offense was better on this night with Rose on the bench. Is Rose still not 100 percent healthy? Or, are his teammates not used to playing alongside him right now?
It’s a huge question that needs to be resolved in a hurry if the team plans on surviving the Heat in the playoffs.
On the other side of the floor, Ira Winderman of the South Florida SunSentinel wonders aloud if the Mike Miller experiment will ever work out for the Heat:
"The Heat desperately seem to want to make this Mike Miller thing work, but can they. He's flat out having trouble getting shots off.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) April 13, 2012"
Once again, Miller had a rough night, scoring just three points on 1-of-9 shooting. It’s a major issue that needs to be addressed in the next two weeks. This is a prime example why Heat fans should be worried about the lack of a solid rotation so close to the postseason.
A big reason the Bulls were able to hang around was the second-chance points. The Bulls were clearly outhustling the Heat on virtually every possession, and this stat produced early in the fourth quarter from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst was all the proof we needed:
"2nd chance points: Bulls 18, Heat 4. There's some 3rd chance points in there too. Bulls 67, Heat 65.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) April 13, 2012"
Alex Kennedy of Hoops World suggests that the absence of Rose has given some of the other role players on the team more confidence:
"Derrick Rose's absence may have helped the Chicago Bulls in some aspects. His teammates have taken on bigger roles and gained confidence.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) April 13, 2012"
Can’t say I disagree. The confidence level of the team, even when they were down in the second half, was sky-high. A tremendous sign heading into the postseason.
Grades for Miami Heat Players
LeBron James: B
It was a typical LBJ regular-season game. Asked to step in at the point guard, he was able to penetrate the lane at will and find his teammates. He finished with a 30-6-5 stat line, but did have four turnovers.
He hit a huge shot, but did miss a jumper and went 1-of-2 from the line after that at the end of regulation. He was a non-factor in overtime. One step forward, two steps back once again for LeBron.
Chris Bosh: B+
The Heat must have Bosh playing his best basketball if they expect to win a championship. Tonight, he was a menace in the paint, swatting four shots in addition to 20 points and eight rebounds.
Dwyane Wade: A-
Once again, the Heat offense in the fourth quarter was standing around and watching Wade. It’s a troubling trend that has been prevalent since LeBron came to town. Flash finished with 10 in the fourth and 21 for the game.
Will things ever change?
Grades for Chicago Bulls Players
Derrick Rose: D
He just isn’t comfortable out there right now.
TNT analyst Steve Kerr made the point during the telecast that the speed of the game seemed to be a problem for Rose, even though he is typically the fastest player on the floor.
That’s what happens to any player when shelved for 11 out of 12 games. Rose needs to fight through this painful injury and readjust to the speed of the game.
If he has to miss more time, I’m not so sure the Knicks wouldn’t give them a serious run for their money in Round 1.
Carlos Boozer: B-
Boozer was clearly the top offensive threat for the Bulls, scoring 19 while grabbing 11 rebounds. He was drilling the mid-range jumper and wasn’t forcing anything down low.
The big negative was his plus-minus. The team was outscored by 15 points with Boozer on the floor.
CJ Watson: A+
When you hit the game-tying shot with under three seconds to play while picking up the slack for your ailing, MVP point guard…you sir, are the player of the game.
