What's painful about being a fan of a team like the Bulls is that you know the odds are stacked heavily against you when it comes to winning a championship. When the team's season comes to an end, especially against the best one in the league, the blow is somewhat softened by your lower expectations. Nothing can prevent disappointment though and that's what most Bulls fans felt after Game 5, which saw the Heat eliminate their foes by a 94-91 final.
It appeared the Bulls would roll over and die as easily as in Game 4 thanks to Miami's 22-4 start. Carlos Boozer was determined not to let that happen though. He got on a roll and scored 19 first-half points to have the Bulls lead by six at the half. Nate Robinson reemerged from his stinker in the last contest and provided his trademark energy. He had 14 points before halftime and Jimmy Butler poured in 12 before the break. Just like so many times this season, the Bulls made it count when they were counted out. As they held an eight-point lead after three quarters, a Game 6 on Friday looked very possible.
The fourth quarter showed why Miami is deserving of moving on. Their offense was crisper, their defense was timely and their mistakes were limited. It also helped that the Bulls were still playing without Rose, Deng and Hinrich. Talent and depth win in this league every time and when you don't have enough, the superior club will take you right out of the playoffs. It wasn't just the Big 3 that made key plays down the stretch, but the Coles, Battiers and Andersens also stepped up. Although the Bulls made a final push and had a chance to tie the game at the end, the offense looked out of sync and didn't appear to have a clear plan as to who should take the key shot. Robinson and Butler both made attempts, but they didn't fall in. The clock ran out before Rip Hamilton (yeah, him) could try another one and the season came to a close.
LeBron James had the best night on paper for the victors with a line of 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. The bigger hero was Dwayne Wade, who will keep the Heat in championship contention for as long as he's at his peak. He took over like it was 2006, making most of the big plays down the stretch and finishing with 18. Chris Bosh totaled 12 and Udonis Haslem shot 5-of-6 from the field for 10.
Boozer led all scorers with 26 and rounded out his final double-double of the season with 14 boards, nine of which came offensively. Robinson, likely playing his final Bulls game, made up for his previous shoddy performance by scoring 21. Butler went the distance again and put in 19 while Hamilton, trying to leave some sort of positive parting impression for Bulls fans, had 15. It was nice to get some unexpected help in this fashion, but Hamilton was nothing more than an inadequate supporting figure for a team that needed a win to keep its year going. Nothing is going to prevent him from being expendable for the franchise.
It's sad that this roller coaster season had to come to a close, but at the same time, it's a relief. This year was full of frustrations, injuries, shortcomings and the perpetual talk of Derrick Rose's return that never came (my dad was right all along on that). The playoffs provided a team that exceeded expectations when they went out with something to prove. They could have easily folded after blowing a 3-1 series lead to the Nets and losing two key starters. It didn't happen. They could have just lay down against the Heat and taken the sweep they deserved, but instead stole Game 1 in front of white-clad fans. Even in half their losses in this series, they wouldn't just accept defeat.
Tom Thibodeau should be proud of his boys because the fan base is already proud of them. Naturally, he and the players will see this year as a failure because they didn't achieve the ultimate goal. That shouldn't matter. They played as well as they could with what they had. It's a standard by which all NBA teams should be measured. If we could only see the kind of play we just witnessed by everyone night in and night out, the league would be that much more fun to watch. Even the terrible teams should take note. You can win with what you have. You just need the desire. I know the NBA is big already, but just imagine how much the entertainment value would increase. Take five, boys. You deserve a break, even if you didn't want one just yet.
I'll have a season wrap-up post sometime in the next few days. I'll take a look back on how the team performed and what we can expect for the offseason. Until then, keep your heads held high, Bulls fans. Our team deserved to be in the playoffs and made nearly every minute count. That's a basketball team.
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