The Miami Heat lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Chicago Bulls because it got outworked and out-hustled. All that changed in Game 2 with the emergence of a familiar face.
Udonis Haslem was outstanding off the bench and provided everything that Miami needed. With his energy, defense and offense Haslem was all over the floor on Wednesday night. He simply carried his team through what were very important stretches of the game. It was the first time that the Heat captain has played meaningful minutes in months.
Overall, the Miami Heat’s defense was nothing short of phenomenal, holding the Bulls to 34% percent shooting. Derrick Rose was able to manage 21 points, but it was a very inefficient 21 points that required 23 shot attempts from the league’s MVP.
The three point shot also disappeared from Chicago’s repertoire. After shooting 47 percent in game 1, the Bulls plummeted to a mere 15% for Game 2. Credit the Heat’s stout defense for this, as most of Chicago’s attempts from beyond-the-arc were forced due to an expiring shot clock.
The big story after Game 1 was obviously second-chance scoring. With the help of Haslem, Miami did a much better job limiting those opportunities for Chicago. Haslem finished with 5 rebounds, 3 of those were on the offensive glass.
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade looked much more like the superstars that they are. Wade was very aggressive early on, scoring 17 points in the first half. Both Wade and James pulled down much needed rebounds throughout the game. Wade finished with 9 and James pulled in 10.
Miami is going to need this type of effort in rebounding from its perimeter players to make up for the fact that they lack a true center to contest with Joakim Noah.
Mike Miller continued to provide solid minutes for the Heat. The box score will not be much of an indication of this, but Miller plays like a man possessed. He never gives up on a loose ball and is never afraid to give a hard foul. He also is a very good rebounder for a guard, he had 7 on Wednesday night.
The Bulls were also very good defensively, making it almost impossible for Miami to penetrate or split defenders. Chicago’s athleticism at the center and power forward positions certainly provides problems for Wade and LeBron while driving to the basket.
It came down to the 4th quarter where points were very hard to find. It took nearly 8 minutes before the Heat could score their second basket. With 4:28 remaining, LeBron James sunk a three-pointer, and he would not look back. James slammed the door shut on the Bulls, scoring 9 of Miami’s 14 4th quarter points.
After being scorched on the boards in Game 1, the Heat were able to out-rebound the Bulls in Game 2. This seems to be the key as Chicago is not a very efficient offensive team.
Miami must continue to be aggressive on the glass and focus holding Chicago to only one shot attempt per possession. It will not be an easy task. The Bulls still managed to out-shoot the Heat by 14 attempts despite losing by 10.
With the victory, Miami has swung home-court advantage back in its favor. There will be plenty to cheer about this Sunday, when 20,000 fans dressed in white are sure to welcome home their Miami Heat. Expect a crazy ovation for Udonis Haslem when he checks into the game for the first time, and boy does he deserve it.