The matchups between the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls have been among the most interesting of the past four years. The Bulls carved out an identity as gritty, blue-collar defenders, grinding through extended playing time and knee cartilage on their way becoming, in the eyes of many, the regular season champions.
Meanwhile, Miami – as talented as they could be indifferent to the long, grueling regular season – were content with winning titles and being, in the immortal words of Joakim Noah, “Hollywood as hell.”
Ah, memories.
The lineups have changed but there’s a sense that the rivalry may still be intact when these two teams face off Sunday evening from the AmericanAirlines Arena.
The Heat (11-12) are back home after a tough road trip where they struggled to defend for long stretches and watched second-half collapses result in losses. In truth, these tendencies were in place before they left but the fatigue of constant travel only magnified these existing problems. And the Bulls would love to exploit them after always being a notch below Miami for years.
Chicago has retooled, adding Pau Gasol to help alleviate some of the team’s past offensive woes and he’s certainly helped, logging 19.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. Jimmy Butler is the team’s leading scorer, achieving some of the potential that has been evident in flashes over the last few seasons; his 21 points per game has helped Chicago become ninth overall in point production. Taj Gibson, the team’s sixth-man, has been in the starting lineup due to the injury of Joakim Noah (who may sit out Sunday’s game with an ankle sprain).
And, of course, there’s point guard Derrick Rose. For all the flak he catches for his injuries and attitude, there’s no denying his impact on a game (with the caveat, of course, when healthy). He scored 31 points on Friday night in a victory against Portland, all on an efficient 14-of-24 shooting. The combination of Rose and Butler will give Norris Cole and Dwyane Wade all they can handle on Sunday.
In the past, the first game back from a long trip is traditionally a let-down game. Teams are exhausted when travelling but settle into a comfortable pattern of nomadic life. Coming home and the change of those patterns is difficult to deal with. For Luol Deng, playing against the team he spend 9.5 seasons with, emotions will be running high.
Deng has said he’s looking forward to the matchup, having an opportunity to to challenge the players and coaches he still considers friends. But he still recognizes the need for a Heat victory and his role as the team’s third scorer – behind Wade and Chris Bosh – will be crucial.
Bosh has played Gasol well in the past and Josh McRoberts, if he’s available after suffering a knee injury during the road trip, should be able to help with Gibson. But Chicago is a dangerous roster, not just for their defensive tenacity but, now, for their offensive efficiency.
Miami must shake off the rust, figure out a way past their defensive lapses and challenge the Bulls in order to prove they can still be considered a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Miami. Check back with All U Can Heat for our recap, post-game grades and analysis.