It looked like it would be a close game at first, mainly due to the high number of turnovers by each team. Miami never quite got complete control of the ball, but the Bulls never had any. Their 27 turnovers were just one off the 28 field goals they made. When I heard Kirk Hinrich wasn't going to play due to injury, I didn't think they had much of a chance. They had struggled since he went out with his last injury, played well against the Hornets when he had 10 assists and reverted back to poor offense tonight. As I heard on the radio tonight, if Hinrich is making that much of a difference in their playmaking, this team is in trouble. More on that in a bit.
As is custom with the hot Heat, LeBron James led the way 26 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. As is also custom, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh trailed the MVP with 17 and 12 points respectively. Then, for good measure, Ray Allen put up 11. The Heat had no respect for the Bulls' struggling offense and were more than happy to take the points on the extra possessions. That's why they now have a nine-game winning streak going and it doesn't appear anything is about to stop them.
Nate Robinson started in place of Hinrich, another custom that has emerged of late, and led the Bulls with 14 points. That should tell you how much tonight a struggle was for everyone else. Sure, Carlos Boozer had his usual quiet double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds and Joakim Noah scored 11. But everyone else struggled badly. There were only six points for Luol Deng, three for Marco Belinelli and none for Jimmy Butler. The 67 team points were a season low, breaking the previous low of 69 set just last week against Boston. That should be just a little concerning, don't you think?
If you're going to lose to Miami, do it playing your very best. The Bulls didn't provide that tonight. The inability to take care of the basketball made this the blowout it shouldn't have been. If you can dominate Miami on their home court as you did a month ago, you should take care of business at the United Center. Even if you come up short, we'll at least applaud you for effort. Instead, many left the building before the final buzzer, disgusted at the scene they had just witnessed.
Missing Derrick Rose is one thing, but struggling this badly without Kirk Hinrich speaks volumes of this team's depth. Nate Robinson can score, not facilitate an offense. It's not like Hinrich is an All-Star. Someone else should be able to fill the role of your average NBA point guard in a flash. I've been quiet on the front office this year, but this is their responsibility. If no one besides Rose and Hinrich can set up plays, that's an issue.
Although C.J. Watson wasn't the best at that in the previous two seasons, he at least kept the Bulls in games by finding opportunities for himself and his teammates. All Robinson does is score. He's missing the intangibles that shows why the starting point guards on the worst teams have their jobs. He'll never be a true starter and is well past the point of changing that.
The Bulls will need a short memory so they can concentrate on tomorrow's game in Charlotte against MJ's Bobcats. Even if Hinrich is out again, there's no reason they can't win. If another loss is chalked up, well, I have no clue how the rest of the month is going to unfold.
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