March 9, 2009 at Miami Heat

Tonight the Bulls are in Miami, where they will play the El Heat on Noche Latina. These teams met just before the All-Star break, in a crazy game that came down to the last play. Another Rose-Beasley rematch, and hopefully the Bulls can come away with a win this time, having last their last 2 to Miami. Bulls have a very tough stretch of games ahead – after tonight they go to Orlando, the Philly, followed by home games against NO, Boston, and the Lakers. Ouch. They’ll be lucky to get more than one win, and that might even be tough. Keeping that 8 seed would be a miracle. Deng will miss his 4th consecutive game with a right shin contusion (early sign of a stress fracture on his tibia), and may be out for another week or two.

1

I missed the first 3 minutes of the game, but the Bulls hit 4 of their first 5 shots, and have jumped out to a 9-1 lead. I’m actually pretty disappointed that I missed those first 3 minutes.

8:49 – Mario Chalmers with a nice layup for the Heat’s first FG of the game. 11-3.

8:16 – Gordon with a nice rainbow jumper. He’s got 6 of the Bulls’ 13.

7:47 – Udonis Haslem takes what is apparently his 24th charge of the year, this one by Tyrus Thomas. I bet a few of those 24 are by Tyrus.

7:06 – Good ol’ fashioned scrum on the floor after Miami knocks the ball out of Gordon’s hands. Jump ball eventually called, which Haslem wins over Gordon, but knocks it right to Rose, as the Miami announcers predicted.

6:33 – Salmons turns the ball over, steals it back, the gets it stolen again, leading to a Miami basket. VDN calls a TO after a 10-2 run, making it 13-10.

5:30 – Joakim Noah slams it with authority, nice assist from BG off a shot fake. 15-10.

5:07 – Brad Miller steals the ball underneath, leading to a fast break where Rose gives a nice dish to Noah, who will go to the line for 2.

4:30 – Salmons with a nice fallaway in the paint. Teams trading baskets, 19-13.

4:00 – Noah with an offensive 3 second violation. Doesn’t he know this rule yet?

3:33 – Nice steal by Chalmers, leads to a dunk by DWade. 19-17.

3:12 – Rose hits a deep 2.

2:36 – Nice drive by Wade who stuffs it home.

1:59 – Salmons hits a desperation 3 as the shot clock expires. 24-19.

1:23 – Salmons drives baseline for a 2-handed slam. Very nice! After trading baskets for a while, Bulls are back up 7.

After 1: 26-22 Bulls.

2

11:00 – Miller with a bucket down low. 30-22.

8:28 – Rose passes ahead for a 2-on-1 break, Hinrich tosses it up to Gordon for a layup, alley-oop style. Back tup 10, 36-26.

8:12 – Gordon steals and passes ahead to Hinrich, who lays it in and gets fouled. The FT makes it a 9-0 run, Bulls up 13.

6:53 – DWade with a drive and finishes with a reverse jam. Wow.

6:00 – Salmons jumper ends 6-0 Miami run. 41-32.

5:40 – Wade drives, gets the shot and the foul. FT makes it 41-35.

5:23 – Rose with a nice runner off the glass. Bulls shooting 58% from the field.

5:00 – Rose passes to Gordon for the 3. 46-35.

Bulls on the wrong end of 2 technicalities, having the whistle blown for a 24-second violation when they should have had a fast break, then a clear path foul is called on Brad Miller when he accidentally bumped into Chalmers.

3:28 – Rose moves baseline and puts it up and in over Jermaine O’neal. Rose has 11.

Tyrus Thomas has a block in 24 consecutive games, the best current streak in the NBA, and a Bulls record.

27.0 – Heat on a 10-0 run, puts them ahead 51-50.

6.0 – Rose with a nice drive, doesn’t hit the layup, but Noah taps it in.

Halftime – Wade hits a deep 3 at the buzzer, 54-52.

3

Missed the first 2 minutes of the 3rd. Apparently Rose just scored. 56-54 Heat.

7:16 – Salmons with a pretty up and under reverse layup, and gets the foul. Completes yet another 3-pt play (he did that several times against Houston).

6:43 – Wade to Jamario Moon for a nice alley-oop.

5:50 – BG drives and throws it high off the glass and in. 68-63 Heat.

2:47 – Salmons drives, crosses over, and puts it in. He’s got 16 tonight. He’s actually been playing quite well for the Bulls so far. 74-68.

1:17 – Wade hits his third 3 of the night, and has at least 30 points for the 30th time this season. 82-70.

39.6 – Miller with a nice slow drive for a layup.

After 3: 84-74. Bulls need a Derrick Rose explosion in the 4th, but with Wade on the other team, a comeback doesn’t look good.

4

9:27 – Miller hits a jumper, Bulls are on a 10-0 run going back to last quarter, and are within 4, 84-80. Heat have missed 9 of their last 10 shots.

8:13 – Derrick Rose dribbles around for a while, and eventually crosses over and puts it in. 87-84.

Miami timeout, Wade re-enters the game. Daquean Cook immediately hits another 3.

7:31 – BG “beats” the shot clock with a 3 that shouldn’t have counted.

6:43 – Joakim sneaks under O’neal for a scooping layup.

6:26 – Noah blocks the shot, Gordon gets the ball and goes in for a nice layup. Cuts the Miami lead to one, 92-91.

4:49 – Wade blows by the Bulls for another dunk. Why do they keep letting him do that? 96-91.

4:24 – BG with a tough three, his fourth of the night.. Bulls really needed that.

3:54 – BG this another 3, Bulls take the lead, 97-96!

3:11 – BG with another 3! He’s got 32 and has come alive late in the game. 9-0 run by BG himself, 100-96 Bulls.

1:51 – BG putting on a clinic, hits his fourth straight 3. He’s 7/8 from downtown tonight. 103-99.

1:19 – Rose gets called for charging on – you guessed it – Udonis Haslem. Except Haslem’s feet were definitely on the circle. That better not cost the Bulls the game.

20.7 – BG picks an inopportune time to miss a FT, as the Bulls are up just 2. He makes the second for a 104-101 lead.

11.5 – Wade knocks down a 3 to tie the game. He’s suddenly a 3-point shooter tonight.

Rose drives, has to shoot a fallaway, and misses at the buzzer, and we’re going to OT. Not sure I like the Bulls chances.

OT

3:23 – Salmons loses control of the ball but stays with it, hits a layup, and gets fouled. Completes another 3-pt play. Bulls up 107-106.

2:51 – After a steal, Rose takes it all the way down the floor and drives for 2.

2:10 – Noah misses 2 FTs. And he’d been shooting them Very well lately (26/29 last 7 games).

1:16 – Salmons will get yet another chance for a 3-pt play, as he beats his man and Miller finds him inside for a dunk. Those 2 are really playing well together. Salmons hits FT. 113-112 Heat.

17.1 – Wade misses 2 FTs, Bulls still alive, down just 2!

3.7 – Salmons will go to the line for a chance to tie the game. And he does! He’s got 27.

Wade misses a reverse layup at the buzzer! Whew!

2OT

4:47 – BG still hot, this a jumper.

2:08 – Rose with a nice drive and scoop for 2.

1:00 – Tyrus slams home a Rose miss. 125-all.

11.2 – Once again, the ball winds up in the hands of the wrong Bulls player, as Salmons turns it over, Wade picks it up with 2 seconds left, runs down, and swishes a 3 at the buzzer.

Final: Heat win 130-127.



Unbelievable game, really, but the wrong team won again. The Bulls really need to learn to close games out when they have the chance. If they don’t, a guy like Dwyane Wade will make them pay. Tonight was easy for him.

Box score notes: BG 43 points on 14/23 shooting, 8/11 3-pt. Salmons 29 and 8R, Rose 23 and 9R, Noah 11 and 15R, Miller 9 and 10R. Bulls only played 7 guys, which is especially tough given the game went into double-OT. Luckily they have a day to rest before the next game.
Heat: Wade 48 points on 15/21 shooting. Like I said, the Bulls made it easy for him.