Bulls-Heat Eastern Conference Finals

“The Heat can’t hang”. “The Bulls play harder”. “There is no way the Heat can contend with the offensive rebounding ability of Chicago’s bigs”. All of these statements seemed to characterize the Eastern Conference Finals after the Bulls outscored the Heat by 21 in the second half of Game 1 after the two teams had played to a draw at halftime. It seemed as though the Bulls were headed down the road to prove their worthiness to all those who doubted them due to their inexperience. The storyline seemed to fit perfectly…the NBA is transitioning to a “new guard”. Out with the old and in with the new. The Spurs? Taken down by the young boys from Memphis. The Lakers? Gone Fishin’. Three of the four teams filling out the Conference Finals docket are among the youngest in the league. The Bulls by far have the reputation of being the hardest workers left in the postseason. It is this reputation (along with the 21 point drubbing they handed out Sunday night) that opened the door for all of the doomsday prophecies that the media was so quick to ascribe to the Heat.

Now the scene shifts to Miami for a Game 3 on Sunday that will be crucial to determining which team will end up victorious. The Bulls have been very good all season in games following a loss but after the Game 2 victory, Miami has now snatched home court. The stakes cannot get higher. In a best of seven series, the winner of Game 3 wins the series over 75% of the time. The Heat has a good chance to bring the Bulls their first consecutive loss of this postseason. The keys to a win are not a secret—contain Noah and Boozer on the boards, do not allow Rose to penetrate deep and open the game up for outside shooters like Korver—but the X’s and O’s are not the only determining factors. The Heat needs to do as good a job at maintaining their defensive intensity, effort and focus as they did in Game 2. They seemingly have a distinct advantage over the Bulls in the next two games being that the Bulls have not been the same team away from the United Center. It is the inexperience of the Bulls players compared to the relative experience of the Heat players that might turn this series.

The spirit of the fans here in Miami is one of confidence. On the streets of South Beach, Stephen Taylor stated that "The Heat DON'T lose at home!"--A quote that typifies the general sentiment of many of the Miami fans that are chomping at the bit for another chance at taking down the Bulls Sunday night.