NBA Playoff Picture: Why Chicago's Overtime Victory Is a Good Omen

It's no secret that the Bulls are the team to beat in this year's NBA playoffs.  They further proved this last night by beating the dangerous Miami Heat 96-86, in overtime.  Forward Carlos Boozer led Chicago with 19 points and 11 rebounds while Miami was led by LeBron James' 30 points.

Still, the craziest part of this game isn't the fact that Chicago beat Miami, who knocked them out of last year's Eastern Conference Finals.  Nor is it the fact that the game went into overtime.  The trait of this game that makes the Bulls the most dangerous team in this year's playoff picture is the fact that they were, essentially, without star point guard and reigning MVP Derrick Rose for most of the night.

In 25 minutes, Rose scored just two points on 1-of-13 shooting despite eight assists in his first game back from an ankle injury.  Rose has been dogged by injuries all season long, playing in just 36 games while averaging 22.4 points and 7.9 assists per game.  In last night's game, his backup C.J. Watson did most of the work at the point, scoring 16 points and dishing out nine assists.

Simply put, if I'm any other team in the Eastern Conference right now, or the West, for that matter, the Bulls are a team that I don't want to face under any circumstances.  Not only did they just beat the Heat in overtime, but they held the Big Three and company to just 86 points!

Keep in mind, Miami scores about 100 points per game as a team and their Big Three are responsible for about two thirds of those points.  Last night, in Chicago, the Heat team outside of LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade looked like something out of the D-League and come playoff time, that isn't going to fly.  Thus, last night is a good omen for Chicago's playoff hopes, and here's why.

First, just write off Rose's performance immediately.  Yes, his shooting was off, but he's been banged up all season and he'll be able to turn on the afterburners come playoff time.  He's just that good of a leader.

Next, Chicago's bench looked the best it has all season.  Three bench players scored in double figures and the second unit was responsible for half of the team's 26 assists.

More importantly, Carlos Boozer finally appears to be coming around!  He has averaged 14 points and 12.4 rebounds over his last five games and finally looks like the power forward the fans thought their team was getting last year.  After a first season in which he appeared soft, the former Duke Blue Devil has brought the toughness as Chicago looks to be No. 1 in the Eastern Conference for the second year in a row.

That all being said, if the Bulls can use last night's performance as motivation for the final two weeks of the season, they can easily do some great work in the playoffs.  The fans are hungry for a championship without the help of Michael Jordan and with the Bulls team the way it is now, it's a great possibility that they can achieve that goal.

If last night's game is any indication, then my money is certainly on the Bulls to win it all, at least at this point.