Chicago Bulls Complete Florida Sweeps, Beat Miami Heat, 87-86
When the Bulls set out on their five-game road trip, the challenge was to turn around their average road play. A difficult task, considering the trip ended with consecutive games against Atlanta, Orlando and Miami.
Coming back with four wins and a sweep of Florida teams Orlando and Miami, the Bulls have now established themselves as a team who can win on the road.
The game against Miami was particularly significant, as the two teams were tied today for the second seed—even though Chicago was one ahead in the loss column. With today's win, the Bulls now effectively have a three-game lead, as they own the tiebreaker as a result of their season sweep over Miami this year.
With the Bulls having the third easiest schedule in the NBA over the last part of the season, it won't be easy for the Heat to catch them. Then again, it's not the good teams who have been beating the Bulls this year.
After today's game, Chicago has won 13 of its last 16 games against winning teams and have won 10 straight against the eight best records in the league. Against the rest of the league they are 22-10 over the same span.
Today's game against the Heat showcased the second matchup between the league's two front-runners for the MVP, Chicago's Derrick Rose and Miami's LeBron James.
Rose scored eight points in the final quarter, while James had four points to go with two assists. For the game, Rose had 27 points and five assists, James 26 points and six assists. James out-rebounded Rose six to one.
In the end, though, the outcome will probably be the deciding factor. The three-game sweep of the Bulls over the Heat may be enough to lock up the MVP for Rose.
Rose and his Bulls beat the other player in the conversation of late, Dwight Howard, on Friday night.
Both players also had negative plays as well. Rose had a late turnover and a missed field goal that would have extended the Bulls lead to five with 1:25 left. James, though, had the ball in his hand with eight seconds left and another opportunity to seal the game for the Heat.
Driving into the lead with Joakim Noah draped all over him, James missed the shot. After the Heat got the rebound, Dwyane Wade took a shot to win the game—and he missed too. The Bulls got the rebound and the game was over.
Chicago got the lead with a highly unusual three-point play. With 17 seconds left and the Bulls down by two, Luol Deng drove into the lane and was fouled. He hit the first free throw to put the Bulls within one.Then he missed the second, and the Heat pinched out Noah to keep him from getting the rebound, but Deng come up the middle and got his hand on the ball when he was fouled by the Heat's Mike Miller.
Sinking both free throws, Deng gave the Bulls the one-point lead and eventual game-winning point.
It was the second game in a row against the Heat where Deng scored the points that beat the Heat. In the previous game, Rose kicked a ball out to the left to Deng behind the three-point line when Wade came over to trap him alongside James, leaving Deng alone behind the arc.
Chicago won't have much time to enjoy their triumphs on the road over Orlando and Miami. They have to return to the United Center to face yet another playoff team, the New Orleans Hornets tomorrow night.
