Heat-Bulls Bullets: Where LeBron James Sends Kyle Korver Back to That 70's Show
The Final: Miami 96, Chicago 85
Game Ball: Chris Bosh (34 PTS, 5 REB, 13/18 FG, 8/10 FT). Bosh’s remarkably efficient game was needed with Dwyane Wade (6 for 17) having an off night. He set the tone with his aggressiveness early on and was in “attack mode” for every one of his 43 minutes.
He also had his best defensive performance of the series and did a fine job bodying the Bulls’ bigs on the glass.
While Chicago’s defense intentionally allows for Bosh to operate in plenty of one-on-one situations, you’d think they need to start making adjustments.
It shows Wade and James both don’t have to dominate for the Heat to win, which makes things dire for the opposition.
Bizarro Stat of the Night: Chicago had more fast-break points than Miami 16-10. From watching the game, one would think Miami dominated in this area, but it can be misleading, because many of Miami’s plays in transitions led to free throws.
Advanced Stat: The Bulls finished just 2-for-16 shooting between 3 and 9 feet. It tells a lot about the Heat’s interior defense and their ability to close down the lane. As a unit, they’ve been superb defending Derrick Rose, who shot a lackluster 8 for 19 from the field tonight.
Quote: “Derrick Rose has got to be Superman for the Bulls to win this series” – Sir Charles Barkley (TNT)
Beyond the Box Score: Udonis Haslem’s 8 points and 4 rebounds on 4-for-7 shooting looked solid, but his true impact, as always, goes unmeasured.
The energy he brings to the game and the stadium is pivotal for a Heat team that doesn’t have a ton of those type of “glue guys.” He neutralizes the energy of Chicago’s reserve big men, most notably Taj Gibson.
If he had played meaningful minutes in Game 1, would the Heat be up 3-0?
The “LeBron sent Korver back to that 70′s Show” Highlight of the Night
The “Joakim Noah is about to get fined” Highlight
Up Next: Game 4 in Miami on Tuesday night (8:30 p.m., TNT).
