The starting five was phenomenal, so let's start with the best of that group tonight. Carlos Boozer had a big game Wednesday and picked a perfect time for an encore. This one consisted of a double-double (27 points, 12 rebounds) and hustle that LeBron James himself had to have admired. He got to the paint, boxed out opposing players and fought for the ball like it was his own child. This is what the Bulls hoped would get out of Boozer when they signed him. For all the talk there's been about amnestying him later, he's not afraid to turn it on when he wants. It's doubtful he'll have many more games as big as this as the season continues, but tonight gives you hope that his play will take the Bulls to that next level they so desperately want to get to. Say what you will about him as a player. He's still one of the most consistent at what he does and can be counted to give you solid minutes every night.
Boozer wasn't the only one with 12 rebounds tonight. Joakim Noah joined him and threw in 13 points for good measure. We'll pretend the flimsy clear-path foul he was called for didn't happen. Kirk Hinrich, with 10 points, brought the most energy I've seen from him since the New York win two weeks back. The game he demonstrated early on both ends set the tone for what was to come and the Bulls stayed in front most of the night. Rip Hamilton was a little quiet, scoring seven points in just 17 minutes. Still, his veteran leadership helped hold down the fort until reinforcements game. More on that in a bit, but Luol Deng must be mentioned first. He had just six points, but scoring wasn't his primary concern, at least not with Boozer handling much of that. It was his defense that kept LeBron in check. Much of the game-high 30 points from the game's best player came as he tried to take over in the fourth quarter. Before that, he couldn't really get into a rhythm and by the time he did, it was too late. Deng stopped him cold and deserves big kudos for how he played.
The new bench still hasn't quite earned the right call itself Bench Mob 2.0 yet, but they took a step in the right direction tonight. Nate Robinson was the leading man with tons of energy and 13 points. Jimmy Butler took a cue from Boozer, hustling and diving for balls at the right time. Marco Belinelli provided a brief scoring spark and Taj Gibson cleaned up with nine boards, five of which came offensively. Everyone who saw action tonight contributed. Can't sell anyone's performance short.
Of course, this was just a regular-season game with the Heat. We've seen this before. In fact, the Bulls are 6-2 in the regular season since Tom Thibodeau took over as head coach and the Big 3 teamed up. It doesn't look very big in the long run unless the Bulls beat Miami in the playoffs. For one game however, we see how dangerous this team can be when going all out. Forget that Derrick Rose was out. There's no pushing them around most of the time. One could make the argument this is the latest evidence that they typically only play up to their level of competition. Maybe that's true, but we see what happens when they're running in just the right gear. Whether things will be different next time the teams meet is unknown. Still, there's no arguing that this is a roster that can compete with the best even with its superstar out.
The Bulls will take the weekend off before taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers at the United Center Monday. Most people will probably be watching the national title game. No matter to the Bulls though. As long as they can show the Cavs what it takes to win in the NBA, all will be well.
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