“We don’t even know what happened. I’m not going to lie to you and say we do.”
That’s what Dwyane Wade said after his Heat made an improbable comeback to stun the Bulls and earn a trip to the NBA Finals. I don’t know what happened, either.
Well, I do and I don’t, I guess.
In a big picture sort of way, I get it. I understand that:
1) The Bulls lost to a team with two legit superstars and another All-Star caliber player, and
2) Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have more experience in big games than Derrick Rose.
Regarding point number one, Miami’s big three scored all 26 of their team’s fourth quarter points. Going back to the final two minutes of the third, that trio scored the Heat’s final 33 points of the game.
Meanwhile, two of Chicago’s big three — Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah — spent the fourth quarter shining the bench with their butts. Boozer is a defensive liability who wasn’t scoring (1-for-6). Noah is an offensive liability who was enabling the Heat to clog the paint and contest the passing lanes. When two of your (in theory) top three players can’t be trusted in winning time, there may be a fundamental flaw in how your team is structured.
Still, when Ronnie Brewer went 1-for-2 at the line with 3:12, the Bulls were up by 12 points (77-65) and looked like a mortal lock to force Game 6.
That brings us to point number two.
Only 12 seconds after Brewer’s freebie, Dwyane Wade — who at that point was 3-for-10 and had committed a career playoff-high 9 turnovers — hit a short jumper. Then, 22 seconds later, Wade stole a bad pass by Rose and went the other way for a crazy running layup while drawing a foul on Rose. Wade missed the foul shot, but you could sense the Bulls were getting a case of the yips.
To be completely honest, the Bulls built that 12-point lead by being aggressive. Once there, however, they started playing against the clock instead of the Heat. I’m not sure whether this was by coach Tom Thibodeau’s design or because the players were overwhelmed, but the Bulls started running time rather than running plays.
And it cost them dearly.
About 30 seconds after Wade’s layup — and following a missed jumper by Taj Gibson — LeBron drilled a tough three-pointer (on an assist from Wade) to cut the lead to five (77-72). Thibs called timeout. Rose finally responded by taking it right at James and floating in a shot.
On Miami’s next possession, Wade nailed a three (on an assist from LeBron) while being fouled by Rose. To me, it sure looked like Wade swung his legs forward while shooting in order to draw the contact, but whatever. The call was made and Wade hit both the shot and the ensuing free throw for a rare four-point play.
Chicago’s lead was now down to three (79-76).
After running a full 23 seconds off the clock, Rose was forced to take another contested shot. He missed. Seven seconds later, LeBron tied the game with a step-back three.
It was contested.
It was — to be completely fair and honest — a bad shot.
But it went in.
This is where I point out that Miami started 3-for-12 from downtown…then James and Wade went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc in less than a minute.
Thibs called another timeout and presumably drew up a play. I say “presumably” because the Bulls only had the ball for about eight seconds before Rose had another pass stolen, this time by LeBron, who went on to hit a 21-footer to put the Heat up 81-79.
Remember: The Bulls wanted to force James and Wade to shoot jump shots.
That was the plan.
Neither man has ever been a high percentage three-point shooter. Neither one of them is or ever has been a lights out shooter from long range. And yet, there they were, gunning the Bulls down with cold-blooded jumpers.
Thibs called his final timeout. Rose responded by going right at LeBron again and drawing a foul. With the season on the line, Derrick hit the first free throw…and missed the second.
Miami got the rebound. Keith Bogans was forced to foul Chris Bosh. (Yes, Bogans saw more time in the fourth than Boozer and Noah.) Bosh converted both freebies. And then the Bulls season ended as they were unable to create an open look and James stuffed Rose’s desperation three at the buzzer.
Game over.
Season over.
This was a schooling, with Rose learning the painful lessons that James and Wade have learned before him. Wade has won a title, after all, and he was the Finals MVP of that championship series. LeBron has been to the Finals and endured bitter playoff losses for teams that had the league’s best record and were favored to win.
Points one and two. The Heat had more firepower — read that, more star power — and James and Wade have learned more about closing games in their eight seasons than Rose has learned in his three.
And, let’s face it, James and Wade hit shots down the stretch they don’t make with regularity.
Said Kurt Thomas: “They hit some tough shots, step-back 3s, runners, you can’t take anything away from them. They know how to put the ball in the hole and they showed it. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that. It seemed like they just hit one big shot after another. I thought we had a nice lead there, and it just slipped away. We let a golden opportunity get away.”
Added Brewer: “We wanted [James] to take contested 2s, contested 3s. I guess you have to limit him but he stepped up and he willed his team to victory.”
On the other side there was Rose, the regular season MVP, whose will was broken. Remember, Rose missed a free throw that would have won Game 4 in regulation. He also missed a free throw that would have tied this game in the final half minute. And then there were the critical turnovers in both games.
It may be fair to suggest Rose was fatigued. After all, he played every single minute in the second halves of Games 4 and 5. He might have benefitted from a minute or two of rest. We’ll never know if that’s true, just as we’ll never know exactly why Thibodeau didn’t give him that rest.
All we know for sure is that the Bulls had leads or a tie in the fourth quarter of three of their four losses but couldn’t close any of those games.
Painful lessons.
Said Rose: “At the end, it’s on me. Everything is on me. Turnovers, missed shots. Learn from it, that’s all I can do.”
It’s very noble of Rose to take all the blame. However, he’s only partially correct. It’s only “all on him” in the eyes of various critics and naysayers who are dogpiling on him now that the Bulls have lost. I’m sure that, to people who thought he didn’t deserve the MVP, this is proof positive.
It’s not.
It’s no more proof of that than LeBron’s playoff flameouts during his two MVP seasons proved he shouldn’t have won the award. The regular season MVP hasn’t won a title since Tim Duncan did it in 2003.
The reality is, the blame can be spread around. Rose missed shots and made mistakes. Thibodeau’s substitution pattern got out of whack and, at times, he looked very much like the rookie head coach he is. Boozer and Noah lost Thibodeau’s trust down the stretch because they are incomplete players. The offense both needs some work and is missing at least a piece or two, which are points the coaching staff and management absolutely must address in the offseason.
Assuming the goal is winning a championship.
It’s not all darkness and disaster, though.
The Bulls truly could have won every game they lost in this series. They were very, very close. In many ways, the Heat beat them by beating the odds. For instance, LeBron is a 74 percent free throw shooter for his career. He went 38-for-44 (86 percent) in this series and knocked down 32 straight between Games 3 and 5. James is also a 32 percent career three-point shooter, but he went 2-for-2 on two of the toughest threes a player could take.
There was Udonis Haslem’s big Game 2.
Chris Bosh’s career night in Game 3.
Mike Miller’s dead-eye fourth quarter shooting and career-high 9 rebounds in Game 4.
And then the James and Wade last-three-minutes bonanza in Game 5.
Think about it.
What were the chances all those things would happen in back-to-back-to-back-to-back games?
I mean seriously.
According to ESPN Stats and Information, in 10,000 simulations done by Accuscore.com, the Heat had just a 1 percent chance of winning the game with 3:14 remaining.
The Bulls were close. Just one or two tweaks and a little experience away.
They got the experience last night.
Extras:
Recap, Box Score, Advanced Box Score, Play-By-Play, Shot Chart, Photos.
Devastated. Seething. Heartbroken. Haunted.
After staring blankly at my television for about two hours post-game, I went to bed last night hoping that what I just witnessed was actually a dream. I figured I would wake up and realize that I was only having a silly nightmare.
Then I woke up. Unfortunately, last night wasn’t a dream. But it’s still a nightmare.
You know what I learned last night? That arrogance, entitlement, colluding, whining, bitching, bullying, and cHeating are the true paths to success and winning. Forget about humility, effort, and respect on the basketball court. None of that matters anymore.
Am I being over-dramatic? Possibly. But I still feel like my world has crashed down upon me, as everything I knew to be true and good about the game of basketball has been exposed as a sham.
The game of basketball has been tainted for all of eternity by the Miami cHeat. Excuse me while I go fix myself an antifreeze cocktail on the rocks.
(Only 1/2 of the above paragraph is meant to be hyperbole; I’ll let you guys figure out which part is which.)
@Nick – you’re not too far off with your thoughts…..”Hollywood” (as Noah labeled MIA last night) won the series….Hollywood films have happy or bad endings…happy or not, they all come to an end eventually and go away as a one-hit wonder, or gradually die away with sequels.
hopefully, CHI can make them a one-hit wonder….they’ll have to clean up and add a piece or two before having a chance.
Frankly, a part of me was relieved to see it end last night, rather than in the next game in Miami. The Heat were flat and relaxed for most of the game, until they were awakened by the stunningly ignorant flagrant foul by Boozer.
I have a somewhat less balanced view of the series than Matt and most other pundits. Perhaps I’ll expand in a post in the coming days.
Not a big fan of blaming refs for a loss, as every fan tends to want to, and there is certainly plenty of blame to be placed on the bulls for what happend last night, but that was the most frustrating two-three minutes of NBA basketball I have ever seen, the calls (the foul for the four point play) and no-calls at then end gave me flashbacks to the 06 finals. My money has the Mavs beating the Heat this time around though, feels like Stern has been planning it since the start of the conference finals…
We have to do everything to get a legit shooting guard in the offseason.
I am so sorry the Bulls lost this game last night to let the heat go to the playoff. Now I hope and pray that Dallas will take them out for good. I don’t like the way Miami made deals with Wade, Bosh and James. They really don’t deserve to go to the finals. I am all for Dallas right now.
@Nick – felt the same way last night. Got to credit Miami (yes, even Lebron) for the effort last night, but the rest isn’t wrong.
Lebron is a new model of superstar. His dedication to winning is more desperation then anything else. He needs to be what people have made him out to be. His celebrations, his nail-biting, his flopping (how refs ever believe a 6’9” 275 lb athletic freak really gets knocked around like that is beyond me) – he isn’t as much celebrating a hard-earned achievement loving that he gets to relax for a little while. He does enough work to achieve exactly what he’s expected to.
Anyways, those were my thoughts last night after I accepted that, in spite of the one-sided officiating, the Bulls still had their shots and didn’t take advantage of them. Last thing; it’s amazing how much better they look on offense with a floor-stretching center – don’t be stubborn Noah; fix that mid-range jumper. I suspect Rose will be in the gym shooting with you.
the flops by Lebron were a joke….he’s such a snake…I used to play pick-up ball with a guy who played like that….his personality was very deceiving.
@Nick – You just described Michael Jordan.
I love how almost everyone that wants to see the Heat lose bring up a half-assed argument about LBJ, Wade, and Bosh coming together. There is a reason why the Lakers and Celtics have more championship titles than any other team: their championship teams have multiple superstars, some hall of famers. The biggest difference between those Laker/Celtics teams is that LBJ, Wade, and Bosh didn’t allow idiots in management to decide their futures. You know, like dropping millions on Boozer.
The celtics and the lakers have all those championships during when players were totally slower and there wasn’t even a shot clock format back in the 60’s when the celtics were winning with bill russell, as for the lakers players were totally slower back in the 80’s and before that when the lakers were winning with majic johnson.Chicago and San Antonio have always been totally different, especially when these two teams have won NBA titles in a totally tough way with totally quick players and with a shot-clock format when these two teams were winning NBA titles with Jordan and Duncan.
can you tell im from miami.. born and raised. I cant blame you all for whining.. If the bulls signed labron, wade, and rose I would have been calling them a cheat as well. And I deffenitly would have been pissed at wade. But anyway.. LETS GO HEAT LETS GO!!!!!!!!
Free agent SGs: Jason Richardson, J.R. Smith, Leandro Barbosa, Jamal Crawford (one time as a Bull was enough), Michael Redd (too injury prone). I’d take any of the first 3 though. Also wouldn’t mind trading some draft picks for O.J. Mayo.
Well I lived in Miami for 3 years so I’ve been exposed to the shallow and unintelligent population, and you can’t spell (including your own best player), so yep, you’re definitely from Miami. Go find somewhere else to jack off.
Wow, do you guys want some cheese with that whine? Crybabies, all of you. Try to handle it with class, like your team did.
Wow, this is pretty poor analysis as it takes away all context. While your percentages for LeBron and Wade are correct for regular season and the first 3 quarters, their 4th quarter and particularly end of game numbers are far off.
Likewise, the Rose-tinted glasses for Rose. I am surprised by the favorable comparisons he has gotten (to Jordan, Iverson, etc.) in fact his play most resembles Stephon Marbury, a very good scorer and passer when the game is not on the line, a train wreck when it is.
Thirdly, reall- you are going to still disrespect Bosh when he outplayed every Bulls big man ON BOTH ENDS. Who is a better power forward in the game today? Dirk can score, but not against this Heat team as next week will show, but Bosh will still get his 20-10 avg. as he has against Garnett, Boozer, and everyone else. Again, come crunch time, whose game thrived, all of the BIG three.
Finally, this was such a coaching mismatch I feel bad for Bulls fans. Thibs ran the same offense and defense in almost every game (he just figured out that Rose would be more effective off the ball in game 5, but still rarely went that route). Spo made adjustments every game, for instance, in game 5 Wade took up the baseline and Bosh started in the high elbow, freeing both up for where they were most effective. Thibs just insisted effort and defense were needed, how about some off the ball screens for Bogans and Brewer since they were hot, how about not force feeding Korver into the game when he was a huge liability (what was his plus/minus).
Again, with this coach, and this team stuck together for the next few years, Chicago will not be a threat.
Agree that it was a coaching mismatch. But Thibs was up against Riley, who I think even Bulls fans can admit is a basketball genius. Spo is his puppet. They even showed footage of Riley giving him instructions during practice. So yeah, with their talent and Riley pulling the strings, they will continue to be great. But Chicago is just one or two pieces away from threatening.
Wow, what dis-respect to Spo, how about this fact. As the team was gutted to make room for LeBron, they still had a top 5 defense and made the playoffs with Wade and less than the Bulls have. I suppose Riley was coaching then too. He is a great coach to be able to weather all the Heat faced, to win LeBron over to becoming the best defensive force in the game, with Bosh a close second (though he gets no credit). The Heat took the best ingredients and turned them in to the best meal anyone has seen in a long, long time, and Spo deserves the credit. He also is creative with the hot hands, so each round has had a different lineup and cast (although now that their primary five are healthy they have a strong 8 man rotation (much better than the Bulls and Dallas. Thibs insisted on his regular season rotation, Watson had his way with the heat, so did Brewer. That small lineup (with Rose and Deng) would have been the bulls best offensive chance, yet game after game, losing lead after lead, it is Korver and Gibson (yes he had a nice dunk, but other than that he was almost as big a liability as Korver (look at their plus/minus). Spo would have won the game with this team, which is why Bulls fans should be very worried, no matter what pieces they get, if they don’t buy Thibs way, they will sit.
I am celebrating a great season for the Bulls. I thought they had a chance against the Heat, unfortunately they did not match up talent wise. LBJ managed to look a little like Magic Johnson, a little like Scottie Pippen and a little like MJ, he was the difference. I have always respected his talent, I just don’t like his lack of moral fiber. He should have let Cleveland know he would not be back sooner than he did.
The Bulls made huge progress this year, but still have to make more improvements to remain one of the elite teams in the NBA. While the defense is there, the offense is sorely lacking. This off-season will be just as important as last off-season in the development of the Bulls. Gar/Pax will have their hands full maintaining the status of the Bulls. Both Atlanta and Miami showed how to slow down Rose. Can Gar/Pax find the right pieces to augment Rose’s talents and continue the Bulls renewed march to the championship.
Of course, I will not care if any games are delayed or lost toa lack of labor/management agreement. I am about ready to throw professional sports off my radar if the NFL and or the NBA can not resolve their CBA without loss of games. I will go back to the professional amatures in the NCAA.
While I agree that Heat got the benefit of some luck nights along the way, every positive thing that Heat did was not the fluke that you want it to be. The Heat just present some problems that Bulls are going to always have a certain amount of trouble with.
Bosh was consistently very good against the Bulls for the whole series. He had to 2 games with 30 points on 70% shooting plus 2 additional 20 point games. He finished the series with 23.2 points on 60% shooting. His career game wasn’t a out of nowhere event, he had scored 30 on similar shooting in game 1.
While Lebron did make some very big threes in the late stages of games, but it wasn’t like he was raining threes during the entire series. He made 7 of 18 for the series. His career average would have projected 6 of 18, a variance of only one shot.
Mike Miller is a very good shooter. His “dead-eye” shooting night involved making 2 of 5 from three and 5 of 8 overall. He is a career 40% from three so his performance was perfectly equal to that. Making a couple of shots in addition to that isn’t exactly shocking for a player of his ability. He isn’t Bogans or Brewer, he is in the NBA because he can shoot it very well.
Finally, Dwyane Wade had a very poor offensive series. He shot 40.5% from the field and 20% from the three. He had 9! turnovers in game 5. The four point play three pointer was the only three point shot that Wade made in the entire series. So, he was far from perfect during this series.
The Bulls can play better but so can the Heat. Miller & Haslem played a combined 7 minutes in the Heat’s only loss. Both played ok without being in true game shape so they could play even better next year. Wade could definitely be much better than he was.
If the game wasn’t sick enough for a Bulls fan, it has to be followed up with negative tripe.
(Not that it matters, but I think Spo is a good coach, especially for his age, and he has had to shoulder a HUGE load this year between player/management personality and expectation.)
I don’t hear any reality coming from the Heat fans here. These games were so close, it wasn’t even funny. For us Bulls fans, it is not funny at all.
DRose had a Terrible series. Terrible. He made mistakes he may not ever make again in his professional life. There were turnovers, drives into triple-coverage, the list goes on …
Thibs did not appear to have a handle on what he needed to do to put us over the top.
There is more, but there is always more to point at…
—What I would like to know from the Heat fans is:
Up until the flagrant foul, how were you feeling about Wade and LeBron in a close-out game?
You realize that you did not win the game… you were just talented enough to take advantage of our glaring mistakes.
There is always a big difference. And, yes, it does matter that you had that talent. But, the Heat were ready to get beat last night and the Bulls could not let it happen.
Yes, I think the Heat will be even tougher next year, assuming enhanced chemistry and roster tweaks.
But, the Heat have just reached the level they were supposed to – and that is all for right now – they have not over-achieved or impressed me at all with their flow or chemistry.
I do hate the Heat, but I have hated the Heat long before LeBron got there… So don’t get all fresh hater on me.
Lol some of you are hypocrites. You hate that wade, bosh, and james joined forces but here you are saying how badly ya need more talent on your team. How Lebrons DDECISION pissed you off but you were all glued to the tv set praying he would join Chicago lol. If wade and james were available free agents youd get rid of half your team for them.
And the refs missed calls on both sides. And yea rose was having a bad series but dont forget wade was playing horribly too.
Chicago was out played, out smarted, out coached for all but game 1. Which is also the game most of you thought the series was over. But in reality the series ended when miami made its adjustments and never looked back. One game is an abberration, but four straight against the number 1 team in the nba with the number one defense in the league, and completely negating the mvp… Greatness!
Jesus Rosey View, is that what you think happened? All the heat had to go through? Winning over LeBron? Give me a break. Spo didn’t do jack to “win over” Lebron. LeBron and Bosh knew where they were headed 2 years ago, and please tell me, what have the Heat “gone through?” They were anointed as champions of the league before the first pre-season game. Other than that, they’ve enjoyed endless media attention and the only negative was when Spo opened his stupid mouth and talked about the players crying after a regular season loss.
Spo is a puppet of Riley who was handed the 3 best players in the game. I mean Christ, you could hand LeBron, Wade and Bosh to a high school coach and he’d win at least 50.
@#15
Rose’s advanced stats at this point in their careers (3rd seasons; Rose is 22 AI was 23) are better than Iverson’s almost across the board. Starbury isn’t in the same universe.
Look, as hard as it is for us to take, Rose gagged this series after Game 1. But it doesn’t neutralize his entire body of work, and the numbers show he’s gotten better every year. He is a force and will be for years to come. Every star has needed help. That’s why Miami formed their big three. If GarPax can help him, this rivalry will be one of the best ever.
I’m a heat fan.
inkybreath: In general, I believe in Wade and LeBron’s ability in close-out games. Evidence: the number of series wins they have individually and together. Bosh, as well. Sure, he’s never won a series, but looking closer, he also hasn’t had an opportunity at close-out games. Call me out on the stats if you want since I’m too lazy to parse the data.
This game in particular, however, they were outplayed for most of the game, and I was pretty ready to concede the game to you guys once the Brewer 3 rained down. Realistically though, up 3-1, the Heat would eventually close.
I’m not too keen about Wade and LeBron taking 3s. In fact, each of those final shots were preceded by “don’t even think of doin… NO!” followed by “damn. alright, fine.” The 3 is absolutely not their best strengths, but with Wade getting older, it’s something he has to get better at eventually.
Your comment about us not winning the game is foolish and bitter. I don’t blame you for the latter, but… how do you define ‘winning’? Personally, I define winning an NBA conference final as ‘moving on to the NBA finals’. In the scope of the conference finals, to a heat fan, what does it matter that the Bulls beat themselves?
Why are you guys hating? And yes, I talking to the harsh Bull fans. If someone were to hate Derrick Rose for no valid reason…you guys would rush to his defense. You do it already, whenever someone questions “should he be the real MVP”? To say the they are cheaters (why didn’t the league stop them if they were cheating), Hollywood (why do the have good defense and seem to work hard and play together…unlike your Bulls), and whiners, girls, b****es, and all sorts of other things. It makes no sense.
One person even said that LBJ lacks moral fiber…REALLY? What is this based on….one decision? Really? What if judged you guys off of one decision you made that I didn’t agree with? Then what if I nitpicked every single word and interview you spoke? And no matter what you do or say…I still don’t like you…all because of that one decision. Forget that you may have been a model citizen. Forget that you give millions to charities. Forget that you’re a good father/mother to your kids. Forget all the good you did for your city. None of that matters…you are evil…How fair would that be if someone did that to you?
We are all fans of the game…that’s why we watch. The refs are humans…they missed some calls both ways. Yeah, LeBron flopped to get one…but what about the no call when Wade had a fast break and D Rose pushed him on the lower body…it happens. Saying you hate the HEAT, but respect their talent and expected them to do what they did is BS (in my opinion). Maybe not you in particular, but a lot of Bulls Fans trumpeted their 3 wins in the Regular…celebrated in their failures when they lost games…laughed when they were said to be crying in the locker room. And now that they’ve proved CRITICS WRONG…you expected this…yet you still hate them…for what? Wanting to play together? For figuring out what D Rose learned last night…one player can’t beat three? What do you want for D Rose now….HELP!!!! The same kind of help that the HEAT have in Miami.
I say hate for no reason because if your team could get any of those 3 players, you would cheer and defend them…just like I am defending them now.
I don’t relish in the fact that your TEAM lost…that can be very hard to deal with..especially when you love your team and you get connected to the players as if they were your own family. Just know that other FANS feel the same way about whichever TEAM they cheer for. No need to tear down one family/Team/group of players to make yourself FEEL better about your family/Team.
They were just better than the Bulls on four of those nights. When people jumped all over LBJ for “quitting” and not being able to single handedly beat the Three Hall of Famers that the Celtics acquired…did you say the same thing you’re saying about Rose now…or did you pile on with the critics…if they don’t get Rose any help (that you yourselves say that he needs and deserves), would you hate him for leaving…would you not understand or be frustrated with management for not seeing something so obvious?….
No hate towards you guys….no pointing fingers and laughing as you feel the pain with your team and a VERY VERY VERY VERY GOOD season comes to an abrupt end…that’s what real fans do…and just like your team, you’ll come back next season, they ready to play and you ready to cheer them on…GO BULLS…
1. The miami 3 did nothing wrong in joining together.
2. LBJ and Wade WON game 5 by making shots/Bull LOST it by freaking out. 2 way street.
3. 1 man teams don’t win finals. LBJ shut Rose down, Bulls had nothing else in their arsenal. THis is as much Thib fault as anyones. Put in an offense that generates points rather than just piling it all on one guy.
4. As a Utah follower for years, I can happily say,regarding Boozer, I told you so. This was a classic Boozer year. Out half the season with some wierd injury, then massively undeperforming in the playoffs. You will never get anything else for him. Signing him was a huge mistake.
5. History tells us tha you need two superstars to make the playoffs. Where are you (Bulls) going to get another superstar?
6. The fact that you played Miami so close shows that Thibs is a pretty good coach and that Miami is a flawed team.
7. Miami is going to get a lot better. They a have the mimimum required 2 superstars (+ an allstar in Bosh) AND they have Pat Reily. He will put the supporting cast together. Right now, it all Wade Bosh LBJ winging it.
8. That they can wing it to the finals shows how good wade bosh and LBJ are.
9. Chances are, baring injury, Miami will always be in Chicago’s way the next 5-6 years. Your only hope is Rose becomes MJ.
10. Rose will never become MJ. He is too sane,
It amuses me how Heat supporters just can’t understand why everyone doesn’t love their team! Or if someone is…*gasp*…a fan of another team, why, he’s just a “hater”! Seriously, get over yourselves.
Trolling around on the Bulls blog trying to stick it to a fallen opponent who, with a little maturity and execution, could have won any of the four games they lost, is just SAD.
Also, if you’re going to come around and diss people, learn how to spell. While you’re at it, don’t use cliches like “have some cheese with that whine.” I think that chestnut was retired in, oh say, 1995.
Having said that, I’m going to go ahead and advise you to move out of your parents’ basement, because I strongly suspect this is actually the case.
GO BULLS!
golly you chi town cats are whiners, Miami won because they had the ability to close tight games, unlike the bulls who just wilted. I bet y’all wish y’all signed bosh to that contract instead of that bum Boozer. As for Noah calling Miami “Hollywood” that’s funny, coming from a dude whose dad is a popstar and whose mom is Miss Sweden, how on earth does that bum have the nerve to talk ish when he sat on the bench during the fourth quarter of an elimination game. Everyone says miami has no class, but y’all need to look in the mirror, people hate winners, now I know the reason the Yankees are so hated.
That’s what happens in playoff games: it’s almost always close in the end and SOMEONE steps up and seals the game.
OKC-DEN, OKC-MEM, and LAL-DAL all had VERY close games around 6 mins in the 4th. Each game could have easily swung the series, but someone steps up, hits a big shot, etc and the games is over…
That’s playoff basketball.
Don’t see how anyone can question the foul on the four-point play. Rose got Wade dead on the elbow. If you touch the elbow of a jump shooter, it’s a foul 10 times out of 10. It had nothing to do with Wade “swinging his leg out.” That just made the whole thing look more theatrical. Watch the replay. Just one horrible play in an absolute train wreck of a closeout performance by Rose. It takes a whole lot of stupid to blow a 12-point lead at that point in the game, and the MVP delivered.
At first, I was horrified that the Bulls lost the way they did. Now, I’m actually happy about it.
People don’t grow unless there’s something to shock them into growth. If the Bulls had lost in six games, they would have gone back into next year’s playoffs with the idea that they could beat anybody, just the way they are, and they’d have lost again.
A really nasty loss is what they really needed. Sure, and a better shooting guard, too, or at least two or three more made shots from Kyle Korver. The roster, however, was not the primary problem.
The reason the Bulls kept crumbling down the stretch every…single…time: it’s because they weren’t ready yet. Next year, the Bulls, new SG or not, will remember this loss. They’ll do everything in their power to prevent it from happening again. And we’ll see what it’s done for them.
Agreed, Aaron.
I am going to state that the Bulls took as huge step this year. Every player needs to work to get better, the coaching staff needs to work on developing the offense now that the defense is solid and management needs to determine the next step in this teams personnel development. The Bulls need to continue to develop as an organization. They will be facing the Heat and possibly the Knicks for the forseeable future, and they will be striving to improve also. If there is no strike/lockout basketball could be fun next season too.While I would rather be watching the Bulls, I plan to sit back and enjoy the Heat/Mavericks series.
This still is a Bulls blog, no?
Are we not allowed to lament our disheartening loss together and complain about whatever we want to?
Why are cHeat fans here again?
Go stick your heads farther up your asses because you just don’t get ‘it’ and you never will.
Supporting your team is fine – go for it, even if it’s a team Bulls fans
despise most. But to come in here questioning why the world – and us in particular – hates your team, you come off as naive, ignorant, and entitled as the players you support. I guess you were made for each other.
Go stroke it to LeBron and bitch about us on your own blog.
What’s the matter Chi-Town? Couldn’t handle the Heat? With all that smack talk through the regular season, I certainly expected more from your pathetic bunch of LOSERS. “We’ve got the #1 seed….We’ve got the coach of the year….We’ve got the ‘overrated’ MVP on our team”
Blah, blah, blah. I guess you didn’t have enough, huh?
Probably the weakest this Miami team will be in the next 6 years….And you guys just got swept under the rug in 5 games! Wow. All that regular season talk…..for nothing!
Enjoy the NBA Championship from your couch Chi-Town.
P.S. LeBron is clearly head and shoulders better than D-Brick Rose. Is that even up for debate anymore?
yeah, where did these bandwagon heat fans come from?
typical.
Please … LeBron is all shoulders, no head.
Tried to make a dynasty, died nasty instead.
Now he’s hated and debated while your faces turn red.
His victory is sick to be eroding his cred.
How are all of you lebron and “heat” fans feeling now that your lord and savior choked. he probobly choked from all the fake coughing he was doin! Thats called lack oof class. chi town has none of that