Heat Look To Even Series In Game 2
CHICAGO (CBSMiami.com) – Rebounding. It's simple to do, but it became a complex issue the Miami Heat couldn't figure out in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Chicago Bulls. With Game 2 set for Wednesday night, the Heat has several questions to answer when they take the court.
Can the Heat solve the rebounding problems from Game 1?
The Heat's rebounding woes in Game 1 are well documented. They were hammered by the Bulls on the offensive boards, 19-6 and the Bulls used the offensive boards to score 31 second-chance points. The problems were quite simply the Heat chose not to pay attention to the boards.
Chris Bosh missed out on several box out assignments and LeBron James didn't do much better of cutting off the shooter after a shot went up. Dwyane Wade was also missing in action on the boards by collecting just 3 in Game 1.
How important is rebounding for the Heat? In the Heat's 10 postseason games this year, they are 7-0 when they outrebound the opponent and 0-3 when they get outrebounded.
The Heat doesn't have to win the rebounding contest, but they have to keep it close and they have to keep Chicago from abusing them on second-chance points.
The Bulls have beaten the Heat on the boards every game this year. If the Heat wants to have a chance, they've got to play above the rim and get the tough rebounds.
Can Dwyane Wade and LeBron James play like the first two playoff series?
No one will take anything away from the Bulls' stifling defense. The Heat ran into a buzzsaw and instead of running the offense and being patient, they became obsessed with "heroball" and tried to win one-on-one in the second half.
Chicago welcomed this and was more than happy to watch Wade and LeBron shoot 15-20 foot jumpers all night long. LeBron and Wade got to the free throw line a combined 8 times in the first game.
The duo will have to get to the basket and take the contact if the team wants to have a chance against the Bulls. But, as ESPN's Heat Index said, "aggressiveness doesn't mean impatience." LeBron will need to put his 260 pounds into some of the Bulls' big men and show that he's not afraid to throw his weight around.
Both Wade and LeBron have to be more careful with the ball and the Heat in general must cut the turnovers down. This means the Heat's big men need to catch the ball when they get hit in the hands.
What roster changes will head coach Erik Spoelstra make?
The prevailing opinion is for Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra to insert one of his bigger centers into the lineup to help stem the tide of the Bulls' bigs crashing the boards. This could mean either Zydrunas Ilgauskas or Erick Dampier may be in line for some minutes.
Big Z would give the Heat an added outside shot to extend the Bulls' defense some to open up lanes for LeBron and Dwyane Wade. Dampier would be a big body who the Bulls would have to lean on to move out of the lane and could help on the defensive rebounding end.
There's also the possibility that Mike Miller could get some extended time because he's a solid rebounder off the bench and his length can help guard some of the Bulls' perimeter players.
Don't expect much more from Udonis Haslem though, he's still coming back from a season-ending injury and won't be back fully until next year.
Can the Heat answer the bell?
TNT commentator Charles Barkley has called the Heat, "a whiny bunch." The team was humiliated by the Bulls' suffocating defense and LeBron and D-Wade were left leaving the court with their tails between their legs.
Now, Game 2 is nearly upon the Heat and they really need to pull out a victory and split the series heading back to the friendly confines of the AmericanAirlines Arena.
If the Heat goes down 0-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals, it's going to be a nearly impossible climb for the Big Three to overcome.
After Game 3 of the Celtics series, the Heat were humiliated again and came back with guns blazing and whipped the Celtics in two straight games to seal the series.
But the Bulls are a much younger, more talented, and deeper team than the Celtics. It will take the Big Three leaving it all on the court to prevail in Game 2 and bring the series back even at 1 game apiece.
Tipoff for Wednesday night's game is set for just after 8:30 p.m. on TNT.
Click here to see what CBSChicago.com feels are the keys to Game 2 for the Bulls.
