Heat Look To Take 3-1 Lead Over Bulls
MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – The Miami Heat look to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals when they take on the Chicago Bulls at the AmericanAirlines Arena Tuesday night.
Led by the Big Three, the Heat have been about defense as much as it has been about offense against the Bulls.
The Heat has held the Bulls to 89 points per game. In the Heat's two straight victories over Chicago, the Bulls are only managing 80 points per game. It's a stark contrast to the regular season when the Bulls were able to sweep the Heat.
In the Heat's Game 3 victory, NBA MVP Derrick Rose only managed 20 points and 5 assists in the game. Rose shot 8-19 from the field and could never get in a rhythm. The Heat put up a wall around the lane and will try to do the same thing in Game 4.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has been having Dwyane Wade and LeBron James switch on Derrick Rose on the defensive end of the court and Rose has not been able to create plays like he did in the regular season.
The Heat lost the rebound war in Game 3, but they contested every shot and can close on a shooter faster than any other team in the NBA. It allows for more flexibility on the defensive end and the Heat is using that to their advantage with the return of Udonis Haslem to help on the defensive glass.
Plus, when LeBron James gets going in transition, it's best to either foul him at half court, or just get out of his way. Bulls guard Kyle Korver is still picking himself up after trying to get in front of the 6'8", 260 pound freight train that is LeBron in Game 3.
While the Bulls played well in Game 3, they couldn't close the deal. But Heat fans shouldn't get too excited just yet. If the Bulls can swipe Game 4 and head back to Chicago with the series tied at 2 games, it's anyone's guess who will come out ahead.
But, if the Heat continue to turn up the defensive pressure, and the Big Three continue to play to their potential, the Heat will take a 3-1 lead back to Chicago. That much pressure may be too much for the young Bulls team to overcome.
Make no mistake, the Bulls are a great team and they will be the thorn in Miami's side for the next 3-5 years. As long as Rose stays healthy, the Bulls can beat anyone on a given night.
But, they now have to win three out of the next four games against the Heat in the playoffs to advance. And with the Heat playing at the level they are right now, that seems to be a task that even the most talented teams out there couldn't pull off.
Game 4 is set for Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. at the AmericanAirlines Arena.
