With Derrick Rose's season remaining in question and the lack of Joakim Noah, Rip Hamilton and Marco Belinelli, it seemed fair to predict the Bulls would be the team that would send the Miami Heat's winning streak to 28. I have to admit I even had doubts about this game and I'm usually one of the more positive Bulls fans around. Perhaps the Bulls decided it was time to show a national TV audience why exactly Tom Thibodeau rides them as hard as he does. It's so they stay focused game in and game out. They were rewarded with a widely recognized 101-97 win.
The Bulls came out firing on all cylinders, leading by double digits for a good stretch. Besides a stretch that lasted a few minutes combined in a slumping third quarter, they never trailed in the game. Every time the Heat attempted to get on a roll, the Bulls had an answer. Thanks to the most intense defense they played all year and providing enough offense to distance themselves from the defending champs on the scoreboard, they were able to positively influence a United Center crowd that was one of the most raucous you'll ever see for a regular-season contest. They also converted on second chances, got open looks and grabbed timely rebounds. And they did it all without their franchise player, emotional leader, veteran starter and three-point specialist. As Heat coach Erik Spoelstra put it after the game, the team that deserves to win usually will. That was the Bulls tonight.
Luol Deng led the Bulls with 28 points, was 4-of-8 from 3-point territory and hit all four of his free throws. Carlos Boozer came up huge with a double-double of 21 points and 17 rebounds. He had his usual rough spots, but made up for them with his hustle. Jimmy Butler, making an uncommon start, had a performance reminiscent of the one against the Lakers in January, scoring 17.
The biggest credit has to go the point guard duo of Nate Robinson and Kirk Hinrich. Robinson once again quieted his naysayers who love to nitpick every other asset of his game besides scoring. He may be a risky one, but my, does he look pretty when he finishes. His 14 points were big in the box score and his emotions were huge in swinging momentum. As for Hinrich, all he did was show he had guts to literally take down LeBron James (who led all scorers with 32 points) and go low defensively late to catch Chris Bosh off guard, leading to a possession that gave Taj Gibson two critical points. If they gave nightly awards for veteran leadership, Hinrich would certainly have one after this game.
The Bulls have played Miami very well ever since Thibodeau became head coach and the Big 3 came together. What made tonight different was that this team had lower expectations due to its recent struggles and rash of injuries. To play the way they did tonight was quite miraculous, so this was the biggest win they've had against the Heat in the last few years. It's also up there with wins in regular-season history. Any game that ends the second-longest winning streak in NBA history has to be. Yes, there are still problems with the team and we'd like to find out yesterday if Rose will be returning this year, but for tonight, just enjoy this win. They won't have a bigger one this year, so you always want any sense of pride to soak in.
Lost in all this hoopla is that the Bulls clinched a playoff spot tonight. Now, it's time to really take the fight for seeding seriously. That begins during Saturday's matinee against the Dallas Mavericks. With momentum on their side and the Mavericks not exactly resembling the title team from two years ago, this is a perfect chance to extend the winning streak to four. You don't want a letdown after a game like tonight's.
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