After the teams battled back and forth for much of the first half, the Heat got on a roll to take a six-point lead at the break. They went up by as much as 12 late in the third quarter as the Bulls did their best to keep up with an offensive machine combined with smothering defense. The important thing is their heads stayed in the game and just like it's been under Tom Thibodeau, the defense took over at the most important time.
In the fourth quarter, the Bulls scored 13 unanswered to lead by one. Then, the two teams traded clutch baskets and defensive stops to the point where the game was tied at 86 with 20 seconds to play. The game's fate came down to a one-on-one battle with Jimmy Butler and LeBron James. The reigning MVP, who didn't get to the free-throw line for the first time since 2009, chose to drive on the right side and attempt a game-winning layup, but Butler stripped him clean to force overtime. By then, Miami was out of gas as evidenced by the 9-2 advantage for the Bulls in the final five minutes. The Heat have now dropped three straight.
With father Yannick in attendance, Joakim Noah stepped up as team leader yet again. Besides providing his trademark energy in big games, his line was typical of what we've seen from him recently: 20 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks. Jimmy Butler's late steal from James was one of four for him in this game. He also scored 16 points, grabbed 11 boards and made all six free-throw attempts. D.J. Augustin continued his habit of coming off the bench to lead the Bulls in scoring with 22. The ESPN/ABC broadcast team of Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy showered Augustin with praise for the impact he's had on the Bulls' success this season.
I read a tweet late in the game about how the Heat and Pacers are fighting to avoid a second-round matchup with the Bulls in the playoffs. We saw today why that is. The scary thing for the beasts of the East is that they're not sure whether the first or second seed is going to give them that right. The Bulls are just half a game behind the Raptors for the third seed as of this writing, so you could literally flip a coin to determine the top four seeds in the East playoffs.
If you're a Bulls player or fan, you should be happy everybody is treating you with so much respect. It shows they know you won't be a pushover come the postseason. If Indiana and Miami assume the conference finals rematch from last year is going to happen lickity split, they are sadly mistaken. It's just not in the Bulls' DNA to lay down like they should. For the second year in a row, they've taken the league by surprise sans Derrick Rose. It's a reminder that no matter how much turnover the roster goes through, it's still run by the same people who want to win no matter what. As long as they're in place, the Bulls will always be dangerous. Anybody who bleeds red, white and black has to love that.
The homestand continues Tuesday when the Bulls face the Western champion San Antonio Spurs. I was at the United Center when Gregg Popovich's crew last came here, and they put on a clinic even with their best players sitting out. That team is primed to go far in the playoffs again this season, so there's not much time for Thibodeau's crew to enjoy today's win. Then again, I don't think they generally do anyway.
I neglected to mention this last week, but feel it must be acknowledged. Last week, Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf suffered a great personal loss after his son David died at the age of 51. I must confess to not knowing much about David as he didn't get involved with the Bulls or the White Sox and chose to work in real estate, from which his father made most of his fortune. Regardless, it's still a loss for both organizations and as such, at least the Bulls will wear memorial patches as seen above for the rest of the season. Please keep the Reinsdorf family in your thoughts and prayers as they go through this difficult time.
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