After losing the opening game of the series, the Heat have bounced back to rattle off three straight wins en route to a 3-1 series lead. That means Miami has a chance to close the series out at home Wednesday night.
The most recent game was an 88-65 Miami win in Chicago, with LeBron James scoring 27 points, dishing out eight assists and grabbing seven rebounds.
The Bulls were again shut down offensively, shooting just 26 percent from the field and 12 percent from three-point range. Nate Robinson was held scoreless, going 0-for-5 from three-point range and 0-for-12 from the field.
Bulls star Derrick Rose still has not returned from a knee injury, though he has flirted with the idea by warming up before games. The Bulls were also without Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich on Monday night.
The Heat were dominant this year, going 66-16 to post the best record in the NBA and at one point rattling off 27 wins in a row. The winner of the series will take on the winner of the Pacers and Knicks series, which won’t be wrapped up until later this week.
So far LeBron James has been impressive in the playoffs, as usual, averaging nearly 24 points and more than seven assists and seven rebounds per game. While James points are down slightly from his regular season totals, his assists and rebounds are holding steady. James has shot 55 percent from the floor in the playoffs and 33 percent from three-point range.
While the Bulls first order of business in trying to extend the series is finding a way to get their offense going, their second must be finding a way to slow down James.
Since their series opening 93-86 win, the Bulls have been outscored 307-237. That’s an average of 23 points per game, with the average scores being 102-79. That shows that the Bulls have their work cut out for them, and it seems nothing short of a return by Rose, Deng and Hinrich can keep them alive.
Don’t miss out on the potential deciding game in Miami Wednesday night; get your tickets right away.
