The Bulls hung tough with the Heat during the first quarter, exhibiting much of their tactics from Game 1 and trailing by only five at the end. They got to as close as four in the second quarter before the wheels came off. Miami cranked their game up to 11 and never looked back. The blowout was only half the story however. The rest consisted of how physical things got and everyone mouthing off to the officials and each other. Nine technicals were assessed, six of which were against the Bulls.
Although LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers were offenders for Miami, they all stayed in the game. The same couldn't be said for Joakim Noah, who picked up his second technical early in the fourth quarter and went to the locker room early, but not before photographers captured the widow of a former CNBC commentator flashing him a certain finger. Ditto for Taj Gibson, who didn't take Noah's ejection well and was quickly T'd up twice to get sent packing himself. He's likely to face a fine and possible suspension for his actions. Also joining the parade were Nate Robinson and Marquis Teague. It was a very unusual night for a team that typically keeps its composure.
Ray Allen led all scorers with 21 points, sinking all 10 of his free throws. James scored all 19 of his points in the first half since he wasn't really needed for the second. Three of the remaining four Heat starters also reached double figures. One thing that doomed the Bulls in the conference finals two years ago was the unexpected bench help Miami got and Norris Cole did his part in this game. He scored 18 and hit all four 3-point attempts. The Bulls were beaten in every relevant category and their leading scorer on this hapless night was Marco Belinelli with 13. Looking at their score sheet makes me think I'm back in my days calling Division III basketball.
If you're going to lose to the defending champions, that's fine. If you're going to have them blow you out, that's still passable. You have to keep your head while doing it though. How the Bulls took the events of Game 2 is exactly what Miami wants: to get into their heads and steal all mental advantages. An often forgotten lesson is when somebody gets a reaction of you due to frustration, they've already won. Maybe you think you can win this series with what you have, but don't expect it to come easy. You can afford to take a beating or two when there are seven games to play with. As long as you win when the circumstances absolutely call for it, like the next game, everything will be fine.
At the same time, we realize just how tough a test the Bulls have. They say to be the best, you have to beat the best. That's much easier said than done when most of Miami's top players are at the highest points of their careers. They'll lay dormant for a game before they show their true colors. We saw this plenty of times during the Bulls dynasty. There were times when they just looked flat and would rather be anywhere but on a basketball court. Most of the time however, they were serious about winning and usually delivered when they needed to. We were on cloud nine then just like Heat fans are now. They know their team can win, so the Bulls have to make it a series.
With the series knotted at a game, the drama continues in Game 3 Friday as the scene shifts to the United Center, where you know the fans are going to be ready. The Bulls still have home-court advantage from their last victory, so to move on, Miami needs to send the fans home quiet. It's happened before, but if the fans make it a living Hell for them, they'll have no choice except to battle through it. Make it happen, Chicago. And don't forget to wear red if you're there.
No comments:
Post a Comment