Heat Desperate For Game 5 Win
MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – Despite being up 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat still consider themselves on the ropes as they prepare to try and closeout the Chicago Bulls Thursday night and advance to the NBA Finals.
"We're desperate," Heat guard Dwyane Wade said. "We're a desperate team as well. We didn't work this hard to put ourself in this position, to be up 3-1, to not be able to match their energy and effort."
"It's one game away," Heat forward LeBron James said. "We're not taking anything for granted."
LeBron has called Game 5 a "must-win" for Miami. But what is coming for the Heat when they step on the court in Chicago Thursday night will be their biggest challenge to date.
"Everything that we have, we have to throw everything and the kitchen sink at those guys because they're going to be ready," Bosh said. "Nobody ever wants to go home early. They've put in a season just like we have. As a man, they're going to have pride. As a team, they're going to have pride. And we have to have that same thing. Chicago is a tough place to play and we have to be ready for it."
The majority of those in the media believe the series is essentially over and it's a matter of when, not if, the Heat take the Eastern Conference title. The last team to come from a 3-1 deficit and win a conference final was the 1981 Boston Celtics.
That doesn't mean the Bulls are going to roll over and quit. They've been frustrated by the Heat's stifling defense and even having the NBA MVP isn't helping the Bulls overcome the Heat.
"It's extremely hard," Rose acknowledged, "when a 6-8 guy can easily defend you."
That defensive pressure is what LeBron believes will be the key to overcoming the Bulls in Chicago.
"That's the only way we play," James said. "When we play like that, we're a great team. We're desperate. We want to win and we want to close it out on their floor. We're looking forward to the challenge. We know it's going to be tough. They've got some of the best fans in the world, so we'll see."
LeBron, who had better numbers overall to Rose this season, has been money from the free throw line against the Bulls including hitting 13-13 in Game 4. He also went 11-26 from the field in helping will the Heat to victory throughout the game.
James has adapted to whatever the Heat have needed this season. In Game 3, he was more of a passer and distributor of the ball. In Game 4, he took it to the basket and put the team on his shoulders while Dwyane Wade fought through a tough night.
LeBron played 49 minutes in Game 4, but even at the end, he looked like he had more in the tank. The Bulls were pretty much gassed by the start of overtime because their stars had played almost the entire fourth quarter and were having a hard time keeping up with the Heat.
Plus, Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller are finally paying dividends for the Heat after spending much of the season injured. Haslem and Miller tied for the team lead in rebounds at 9 in Game 4 and Miller had 12 points off the bench.
CBSChicago.com has put together their list of the keys to Game 5 and they include: "play like there's no tomorrow; clean up the offense; and Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau needs to make better and quicker adjustments."
"And we're still waiting for Thibodeau to make his first adjustment," Mark Schankowsky told CBSChicago.com. "The Bulls are down 3-1 already, and, you know, the odds of beating the Heat three games in a row are pretty extreme."
Heat fans are preparing for a possible victory with a large watch party at the AmericanAirlines Arena Thursday night. But Wade understands what's at stake and what the Heat face in Chicago.
"We try to play like there's no tomorrow," Wade said. "We understand it's going to be a tough game. But we have the team and we have the guys that are capable of showing up and putting on a performance that we need to win the game. It's not going to be pretty, but that's not Miami Heat basketball anyway."
