Source: USA TODAY

CHICAGO – On March 27, the Chicago Bulls poked, prodded, shoved, irritated, frustrated and defeated the Miami Heat 101-97 at the United Center, ending the Miami Heat’s 27-game winning streak.

More than six weeks later, the Heat have become the aggressor, poking, prodding, shoving, irritating, and defeating the Bulls in the second and third games of the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

And Chicago hasn’t responded well at all to Miami’s aggression. It was all good when Chicago did it to Miami, and now the Bulls don’t like it one bit.

One game after the Bulls were hit with six technical fouls, and center Joakim Noah and forward Taj Gibson were ejected, they didn’t respond much better in Miami’s 104-94 victory in Game 3 on Friday.

Noah earned a technical foul for shoving Miami’s Chris Andersen with 23.5 seconds left in the first quarter, and backup center Nazr Mohammed was ejected after shoving Heat forward LeBron James with 9:29 left in the second quarter.

An already depleted Bulls roster – no Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich or Luol Deng – became even thinner with Mohammed’s ejection. The Bulls had to play seven players the rest of the game.

“From my angle, I saw a guy basically flop, and … I’m going to leave it at that,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said of James’ reaction to Mohammed’s shove.

Mohammed fouled James as James crossed half court on his way toward the basket. James reacted by trying to get Mohammed off him, and James’ aggressive move earned him a technical foul from referee Joey Crawford.

It should have ended right there, but Mohammed, for some reason, decided to shove James, who fell to the court.

It was a poor decision by Mohammed even if the Bulls believe James flopped or embellished. Bulls point guard Nate Robinson called James an actor.

But In today’s NBA, a two-handed shove is going to receive scrutiny, and it resulted in Mohammed’s ejection, which Thibodeau said Mohammed didn’t deserve.

“I didn’t think it warranted an ejection. I understand flagrant foul. I understand that,” Thibodeau said. “But ejection? No. No. No.”

Mohammed admitted he shouldn’t have shoved James but didn’t believe he should have been ejected. Both teams had to have known the officials weren’t going to tolerate much, especially after Game 2 and with Crawford the crew chief of the three-man officiating crew.

Almost every Thibodeau answer after the game was laced with some suggestion the Heat are getting all the calls and the Bulls are not. After Miami’s Game 2 victory, Thibodeau calmly scolded his team for not keeping their composure. He sided with his players after Game 3.

“I’m watching some of the other plays with (Udonis) Haslem and (Chris) Andersen, and I don’t get it. I don’t get it,” Thibodeau said.

He suggested the Heat are getting away with plays the Bulls cannot.

“Watching how things are going, I see how things are going,” Thibodeau said. “I watch very closely. I watch very closely. What I’m seeing is, we’ll adjust accordingly. …

“When you play this team, you have to have a lot of mental, physical and emotional toughness. Things aren’t going to go your way. That’s the way it is. We’re not going to get calls. That’s reality. We still have to find a way to get it done, and we can.”

How did the Heat pull away in the fourth quarter, which started with the score tied at 70?

“They got to the free throw line,” Thibodeau said.

What did Thibodeau think of swingman Jimmy Butler’s game in which he played 48 minutes for the fourth time in five games and had 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals?

“Jimmy plays with a great demeanor, a lot of toughness. A great body position guy,” Thibodeau said. “I’m watching him play defense, and I’m looking at some of the things being called on him. He’s got a lot of toughness. He’ll figure it out.”

What about Noah’s shove?

“As I said, we’re well aware of what’s going on, and I thought Jo for the most part did a great job, Thibodeau said. “He’s taking a lot of hits. He keeps battling. That’s what I expect from him. Had a tough call – a big offensive rebound – that went against him. He’s making great effort to get to the ball, making multiple efforts. That’s all you can ask of him.”

Thibodeau tiptoed that thin line between a fine and no fine when it comes to public criticism of the referees. The NBA will determine if he crossed the line into the fine territory over the next couple of days.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

CHICAGO — The magic, Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau likes to say, is in the effort.

And as the gallant Bulls have displayed over and over, they turned in another A-plus effort.

They just failed to complete the trick.

The Miami Heat defeated Chicago 104-94 in Game 3 on Friday, taking a 2-1 series lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series. Game 4 is Monday in Chicago (7 p.m. ET, TNT).

The Heat wrestled away home-court advantage after losing it in Chicago’s Game 1 victory. The team with home-court advantage is 91-25 (78.4%) in conference semifinal series games since the 16-team playoff format began in 1984.

The Heat should consider themselves fortunate. The Bulls contained Heat forward LeBron James and guard Dwyane Wade and relied on outstanding performances from center Chris Bosh and backup point guard Norris Cole.

“Nothing’s going to be easy in this series, and this is another example of that,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We just have to find a way. We didn’t play particularly well. A lot of that had to do with Chicago. Just a lot of ebbs and flows most of the game. But in the fourth quarter we found a way even if it wasn’t the previous way.”

Bosh had 20 points and 19 rebounds, and Cole added 18 points in another strong game for the growing second-year pro.

“It was important,” Spoelstra said of Bosh. “He knows that he has to anchor the paint for us, and he has to do it in a lot of different ways. Because of his versatility, he does many things for us. Some of them are on the perimeter. That doesn’t relieve him from those (rebounding) duties. Does that mean he’ll have that type of rebounding night every night? No. But he has to be big for us and a presence at the rim and he committed to do that tonight.”

Chicago’s tenacious defense kept the Heat in check. James had 25 points on 6-for-17 shooting, and Wade scored 10 points on passive offensive effort. He took seven shots from the field, one in the first half.

But the already depleted Bulls — with just seven players available after Nazr Mohammed’s second-quarter ejection — did not have enough left in tank in the fourth quarter.

“From my angle, I saw a guy basically flop, and I’m going to leave it at that,” Thibodeau said of Mohammed’s ejection.

The Heat outscored the Bulls 34-24 in the fourth quarter. James’ three-pointer with 2:35 left put Miami up 93-86, and Cole’s three with 1:48 made it 96-88.

James’ driving layup for a three-point play made it 99-90 with 1:23 left, just enough of a cushion to hold off Chicago. He also was 5-of-5 on free throws in the final 83 seconds.

James had 12 points, Bosh eight and Cole seven in the fourth quarter when Miami outscored Chicago 34-24 after the third quarter ended with the scored tied at 70.

“I’m feeling comfortable out on the court,” Cole said. “That comes from the film sessions, working with my coaches and from the habits I built up throughout the season. I still have a long way to go, but I’m pleased with my progress.”

James, who was 11-of-11 from the foul line, finished with another decent line — eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals in addition to his scoring. But again, the Bulls didn’t let James have anything easy.

James, who shot a career high 56.5% from the field this season, made just 6-of-17 (35.3%) in Game 3. It was just the third time season he shot less than 36% from the field. James scored in the paint often and early in Game 2, and the Bulls were intent on keeping him out of the lane and away from easy shots at the rim. Six of James’ seven baskets in Game 2 were at the rim on layups or dunks. In Game 3, he made just 3-of-6 at the rim.

But he persevered and delivered with the game on the line.

Miami’s depth continued to exploit Chicago’s lack of it. After outscoring Chicago’s bench 55-25 in Game 2, the Heat reserves outscored Chicago’s depleted bench 36-8 in Game 3. At one point, the Bulls starters — all of whom reached double figures in points — had scored 61 of 63 points.

Forward Carlos Boozer led the Bulls with 21 points, and center Joakim Noah had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Both teams were hot early — the Heat shot 61.1% in the first quarter and Bulls 52.6%. Bosh and Heat forward Udonis Haslem had their mid-range jumper shot falling, and Boozer finally reached double figures in points in the series with 10 in the first quarter on 5-of-7 shooting.

“Offensively, he was very aggressive early,” Thibodeau said. “There’s a lot of different ways he can score – running the floor, going to the offensive board, ducking in, facing up. I thought he did a combination of all those things. I thought that got him into rhythm.”

Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler picked up his second foul with 2:47 left in the first quarter, and the physical play and emotions carried over into Game 3. When Miami’s Chris Andersen fouled Chicago’s Nate Robinson, Noah, who was ejected in Game 2, rushed over to Robinson and shoved Anderson, drawing a technical foul.

But it got worse when Mohammed, a backup center, fouled James near halfcourt with 9:29 left in the second quarter. James received a technical foul for his reaction, and then Mohammed inexplicably shoved James to the court and was ejected.

With the Bulls already shorthanded (no Derrick Rose, no Kirk Hinrich, no Luol Deng), they didn’t need another player out of the game. A short bench became even shorter.

It was the kind of play Thibodeau for the past two days had warned his team it needed to avoid.

“We can’t allow frustration to impact the next play,” Thibodeau said before Game 3.

Butler and Cole continued their stellar play. Butler was the last pick (No. 30) in the first round of the 2011 draft, and Cole was the No. 28 pick.

Butler, who played his fourth 48-minute game in Chicago’s past five games, finished with 17 points and continued to make James work on offense.

From the third quarter of Game 1 through the second quarter of Game 2, Cole made eight of nine shots, including all four from three-pointer range.

“He played very well. He’s a good player, a very good player,” Thibodeau said. “He’s improved every year in the league – hard-playing, smart, tough. Made a lot of big shots. I’m going to have to come up with a better answer.”

Bosh accumulated a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) in the first half, and the Heat started to find their shots in latter half of the second quarter.

“You can’t win a championship being pretty and shiny,” Bosh said. “You have to get dirty. You are going to have to play physical. You have to dive on the floor. You have to do things that are extremely tough. … When push comes to shove, we know what to do.”

Thibodeau also likes his team has more enough to win no matter who is on the floor.

Not in Game 3.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

MIAMI — Tom Thibodeau’s Chicago Bulls usually don’t crack.

But several fissures during their embarrassing 115-78 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series led to an uncharacteristic implosion early in the fourth quarter with the game completely in Miami’s favor.

In game that had already had six technical fouls issued by referees trying to keep a physical contest from getting out of control, Bulls center Joakim Noah and forward Taj Gibson were ejected with 10:13 left in the fourth quarter and the Heat up 93-56.

Noah, who had already received a technical earlier in the game, drew his second technical protesting a foul called on Bulls guard Marquis Teague. Two technical fouls equals an automatic ejection. When Noah got ejected, Taj Gibson looked for explanation and received two quick technical fouls on the same deadball.

By the time reporters met with both players, emotions had settled.

“It’s frustrating. I lost my cool,” Gibson said. “It’s playoff basketball. There’s a lot of aggression out there. You’ve got to be there for your teammates. Things weren’t going our way. You’re going to get frustrated, especially when you’re getting blown out. We lost our composure as a team. This hardly happens to me.

“We just have to go out there and play. Unfortunately for us, we ran off the game plan. We got ourselves in a big hole. That was the one thing that was so frustrating.”

Gibson had to be restrained from going after an official after his ejection and was ushered off the court by Bulls support staffers.

Noah even provided a light moment afterward.

“Not being very Zen,” he said.

Noah said he deserved the ejection. “I just wanted to let the referee know how I felt about the game,” he said.

In typical Noah bravado, he already was fired up for Game 3 on Friday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).

“It’s not the end of the world. It’s 1-1. It’s going to be a big Game 3 in Chicago.”

Thibodeau, in the same monotone voice in which he always speaks, said, “We got sidetracked and you can’t do that. We allowed a lot of frustration to carry over to the next play. You have to have poise under pressure. You come in here, you’re not going to get calls. That’s the way it is. That’s reality.

“You can’t get wrapped up in that stuff. You have to stay focused on the task at hand.”

The Bulls probably feel like they let down their dad, and the dad was so mad, he didn’t have it in him to yell. But Thibodeau’s disappointment was clear.

There were three technical fouls in the first half — two on Miami and one on Chicago — as referees tried to allow both teams to play physical without it getting out of control. The Bulls were hit with two technicals in the second quarter and Miami received one in the third.

Neither coach said the game was too physical, chippy or dirty.

“It was playoff basketball,” Thibodeau said. “You have to have more fight, more determination. They’re a great team. You have to keep coming for 48 minutes. You can’t relax. You can’t let your guard down. You have to have strong concentration. You have to have discipline — all of the things that go into winning.”

Noah said it’s more than a matter of two teams who don’t like each other. It’s much deeper than that.

“It’s not not liking them. Who cares if you like somebody or don’t like somebody?” Noah said. “It’s two teams that want to win.”

Thibodeau said his players were distracted by calls that didn’t go their way.

“If you have a point to make to an official, there’s an appropriate time to that and it’s during a deadball,” he said.

Thibodeau tried to get the attention of referee Scott Foster at halftime.

“I don’t want to put it on the officials,” Thibodeau said. “In an NBA playoff game, there are going to be calls that can go either way. If it doesn’t go your way, you can’t allow it to impact your next play. You can’t allow it to get you sidetracked so you don’t do your job. You have to have the ability to do your job all the time. You have to have great concentration.

“If you’re thinking about them (referees), you’re not thinking about what you need to be thinking about. I don’t want to put it on the officials. We have to play a lot better.”

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

MIAMI — So that’s how a champion responds.

After losing Game 1 in a lackluster offensive and defensive effort, the Miami Heat crushed the Chicago Bulls 115-78 in Game 2 on Wednesday.

The Bulls did not handle the beating with grace. Referees made sure a physical contest between rivals didn’t get out of control. Nine technical fouls were called, including five in the first half. But Chicago lost control early in the fourth quarter with the game out of control.

“We got sidetracked, and you can’t do that. So we allowed frustration to carry over to our next play,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “You have to have poise under pressure. You come in here, you’re not going to get calls. That’s the way it is. That’s reality. You can’t get wrapped up in that stuff. You’ve got to stay focused on the task at hand.”

The victory was the most lopsided in Heat playoff history and the worst loss in Bulls playoff history.

Bulls center Joakim Noah was ejected after his second technical foul with 10:13 remaining in the game. Bulls forward Taj Gibson objected and was ejected after consecutive technical fouls on the same deadball at 10:13.

“I just wanted to let the referee know how I felt about the game. I definitely deserved to get kicked out,” Noah said. “We didn’t play well. It’s not the end of the world. It’s 1-1. It’s going to be a big Game 3 in Chicago.”

Gibson said he just wanted an explanation of the play, “and it kind of went the other way. I should’ve conducted myself in a better way.”

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra added, “I don’t think it was necessarily out of hand other than emotions. I don’t think it was physically out of hand. This is going to be a physical series. Nobody’s trying to take it over the top. We have our game that we play that’s tough but it’s clean.”

The series is tied 1-1, and Game 3 is Friday in Chicago (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).

“We were able to save this one, but we’re still in the hole,” Spoelstra said. “We know that. We’re aware of that. What they needed to do was get one. It doesn’t matter about the score tonight. We have to move on and get ready to go into the lion’s den on Friday.”

In full attack mode, Heat forward LeBron James, the 2012-13 NBA MVP, established the tone early and helped deliver what the Heat needed: a convincing victory.

James scored 19 points, all in the first half, and also had nine assists, five rebounds and three steals. Five other Heat players reached double figures in points: Ray Allen (21), Norris Cole (18), Dwyane Wade (15), Chris Bosh (13) and Mario Chalmers (11).

Composure was the key word for James. “We did a pretty good job of staying the course,” he said. “We just came in with the mindset to be aggressive and play our game. With everything that was going on, we just tried to keep our composure.”

For almost two days, Spoelstra lamented Miami’s effort and ability to finish plays offensively and defensively.

“It’s really not about those adjustments,” Spoelstra said after the win. “It’s a matter of winning the ball in the air, ball on the floor, all the toughness areas. Our guys came in with a stronger disposition tonight. … We did a very poor job of finishing the other night. Not just quarter, but finishing possessions. … This game there was more of a concentration.”

Miami responded, shooting 60.0% from the field, including 9-of-18 three-pointers.

“Our spacing is absolutely key when you play a defensive team like this,” Spoelstra said. “You have to get to your spots and you have to get to them fast.”

Miami also held the Bulls to 35.5% shooting.

Spoelstra entertained the idea of putting the 6-9 James — a versatile defender — on 5-9 Bulls guard Nate Robinson, who had 27 points and nine assists in Game 1. That wasn’t necessary. Miami point guards Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole limited Robinson to 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting.

Chalmers and Cole also had solid all-around games. Chalmers had 11 points, four assists and four rebounds, and Cole had 18 points and six rebounds and two assists.

Miami increased the defensive pressure all around. Chicago swingman Jimmy Butler had just nine points, and forward Carlos Boozer had just eight points. Boozer has yet to generate meaningful offense against Miami. He is 6-of-20 in the series and has not reached double figures.

Miami’s depth also wore on Chicago’s lack of it. Still without guard Kirk Hinrich (bruised left calf) and forward Luol Deng (illness), the Bulls’ reserves were outscored 55-25, and Miami outrebounded Chicago 41-28.

Thibodeau was unhappy with the defense, which gave up 20 fastbreak points and 56 points in the paint, carving up Chicago’s interior defense. He said the Bulls needed to play better defense in Game 2, and the opposite happened.

In Game 1, James looked for his teammates early, scoring just two points in the first half. In Game 2, he took a different tact. He was aggressive from the start, making all six shots he took, and all of them were at the rim including two dunks, in the first quarter.

The Heat were never able to go on one of their devastating runs in Game 1. The Bulls always had an answer either with a basket or timeout to stop Miami’s momentum.

That was not the case in Game 2. The Heat finished the first half with 13-3 run, taking a 55-41 lead into halftime, and started the third quarter with a 20-6 run, building a 75-47 lead. Miami’s biggest lead reached 46 points – 104-58 – in the fourth quarter.

“You have to give them credit,” Thibodeau said. “They were more aggressive, more determined. We were back on our heels. The game started OK. We didn’t close out the first quarter the way we would have liked, and it snowballed from there.”

What kind of impact can James have? He didn’t score a point in the third quarter, yet Miami doubled its lead. James had five assists, three rebounds, one steal and was plus-15 in the third quarter.

“He is going to make the necessary plays, what it is and not necessarily what people think he should do. People think that he should dominate and score 40 every night. If the game calls for it, he can will. If it means he’s going to make the right play by setting someone else up, or to another level and letting another guy make the play, he will.”

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

MIAMI — Nate Robinson couldn’t talk Tuesday, the 10 stitches in his upper lip making it too painful for him to move his mouth.

The irony was front and center as the diminutive Chicago Bulls guard loves the sound of his voice almost as much as he does taking shots, scoring points, irritating opponents and frustrating his coach.

“Nate don’t ever want to be quiet,” Bulls guard-forward Jimmy Butler said. “When he doesn’t want to talk to the media, that’s a first.”

Robinson wasn’t available to news reporters a day after the Bulls defeated the Miami Heat 93-86 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 2 here is scheduled for Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, TNT).

Generously listed at 5-9, Robinson was at the center of Chicago’s seven-game, first-round series win vs. the Brooklyn Nets and its win in Miami.

And yet, Robinson hasn’t made people forget Derrick Rose.

On the contrary, the controversy about the 2011 MVP’s return from anterior cruciate ligament surgery continues to rage, even as Robinson puts up Rose-like numbers. He had a game-high in points (27) and assists (nine) against the Heat, and scored Chicago’s final seven points during a 10-0 run that finished off the victory.

“Remember, this isn’t anything new,” his college coach at Washington, Lorenzo Romar, told USA TODAY Sports. “He has scored 50 points in a game before. The bigger the stage, the taller he gets.”

Worn down by minutes and struggling with injuries, the Bulls endure and excel based on coach Tom Thibodeau’s “Next Man Up” philosophy. If a player is in the game, Thibodeau expects the same from him as the player he replaced.

With guard Kirk Hinrich (bruised left calf) and forward Luol Deng (illness) out, Robinson has done just that, supplying points and leadership.

“He’s about as confident as they come, and that’s the thing that makes him good,” Thibodeau said. “If he misses a shot, he has a very short memory. He always thinks he’s hot.”

And Robinson was hot Monday, which made getting him back on the court with the stitched-up lip crucial.

Robinson smashed his lip on the floor diving for a loose ball along with LeBron James before halftime. No matter to Thibodeau.

“He got knocked around a little bit, a couple stitches,” Thibodeau said. “It’s all good. Get out there and get it done.”

Robinson has been getting it done throughout the playoffs, starting with Chicago’s 142-134 triple overtime victory against the Nets on April 27. Robinson had 34 points, including 12 during the Bulls’ 14-0 run in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter to force overtime. The Bulls took a 3-1 series lead.

“Coach (Thibodeau) always harps on winning your matchup, and we try to go out there individually and do that and conquer that as a team,” Robinson said late Monday night. “We are doing a great job.”

Robinson is averaging 18.3 points in this postseason, and Hall of Famer and former Houston Rockets guard Calvin Murphy is the only player 5-9 or shorter to average more points in a single postseason, according to Basketball-Reference.com.

Robinson has excelled in the clutch this postseason, leading all players in fourth-quarter scoring at 8.3 points, according to NBA.com. That’s more than Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and James.

“Nate is a scorer,” Heat guard Dwyane Wade said Tuesday. “We’ve got to do a better job of contesting his shots. Nate’s going to score the basketball because he’s going to shoot. We can’t worry about that. It’s other things we have to worry about more so than Nate.”

Romar recalls going to a Pac-10 media day with Robinson and flipping through the media guide. They stopped at the team photo.

“Obviously, he was really small next to the other guys,” Romar said. “He looks at me, says, ‘Coach, look at how small I am!’ He was joking, but it was like the first time he’d realized that. It was a microcosm of how he thinks.”

Robinson, who played one season of football for the Huskies as a cornerback, is a fearless shooter who forgets his last shot. Miami forward Chris Bosh blocked a layup attempt by Robinson in the third quarter, but that did not stop Robinson from scoring on a layup with 45.5 seconds left, giving the Bulls a 90-86 lead.

“He’s never afraid. He’ll step (up) in a big situation,” Thibodeau said. “He has the courage to take and make.”

The Robinson-Thibodeau pairing on the surface seems incongruent: running-and-gunning Robinson with disciplined Thibodeau.

But the two have a history and have managed to coexist. Robinson played for the Boston Celtics when Thibodeau was an assistant to coach Doc Rivers. Their mutual respect was on display after Robinson’s triple-overtime exploits against Brooklyn.

“He’s a character now,” said Thibodeau, breaking into the closest thing he will get to a smile at this time of the year. “I had a good understanding of who he is from my experience with him in Boston. You’ve got to take the whole package, and the good outweighs the bad.”

Said Robinson, “Everybody knows Coach is a drill sergeant. But he has a heart, somewhere in there. … I tease Coach a lot. It seems every shot I shoot, he’s mad, regardless.”

Thibodeau isn’t upset with many shots these days, with Robinson shooting 50.4% from the field during the playoffs. But when Robinson does challenge his coach, Thibodeau, like Romar years ago, understands that’s just how Robinson plays.

“Nate is at his best when he’s almost out of control,” Romar said. “If you give him a lot of rules, he’s a little bit restricted.”

While it looks like the three-time slam dunk champion has found a home in Chicago, nothing is guaranteed. His contract wasn’t even guaranteed when the season started. Robinson signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract for $1.1 million in July; it became fully guaranteed when he was with team after Jan. 1.

He is a free agent after this season, and since his rookie deal with New York Knicks expired in 2010, he has been with four teams.

“I’m just a fierce competitor. I hate to lose. I love to win,” Robinson said.

In that sense, Robinson lets his game do the talking.

Contributing: Jeffrey Martin

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

MIAMI — The MVP didn’t play like one for a half, and the team with the best record in the league was slowed by a team that is barely ambulatory and just finished a grueling seven-game series on Saturday.

The Chicago Bulls, with their grinding style led by coach Tom Thibodeau, pulled off a stunning 93-86 upset of the top-seeded Miami Heat in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Nate Robinson’s 19-foot jumper with 1:18 gave the Bulls an 88-86 lead, and his driving layup with 45.5 seconds remaining put the Bulls up 90-86. LeBron James, who was presented with his MVP trophy before the game, shot an airball with 29.8 seconds left.

Robinson played the hero instead of James. He scored Chicago’s final seven points, and Miami missed its final five shots, though Ray Allen’s three-point attempt with five seconds left had no impact on the outcome.

The Bulls reduced the game to a possession-by-possession struggle, which is what they want. And it is the only way they can play — and win — with so many players out and hurt.

Robinson (25 points, nine assists) and swingman Jimmy Butler (21 points, 14 rebounds) continued their strong play. Butler played all 48 minutes for the third consecutive game — 144 out of 144 minutes — and made the four-time MVP James work for every point and assist.

“The thing about Jimmy, he’s going to work the whole time. … He’s a tough kid,” Thibodeau said. “He’s mentally tough, and that’s what we need him to do right now. We’re shorthanded. We have a number of guys playing big minutes, and that’s what we did.”

James scored just two points on 1-of-6 shooting in the first half.

“I was just trying to make everything difficult for him,” Butler said. “With the caliber player like him, there is really no stopping him. It’s all about containment. Along with my teammates, we tried to make everything tough on him.”

Butler spoke with Bulls forward Luol Deng, who is still in Chicago and too ill to fly, about guarding James earlier in the day.

“He was like, ‘Take up his space. Make everything tough for him. Challenge every shot. And of course, no layups.’ … Lu’s going to rest up and we want him back,” Butler said. “Until then, I guess I’ll be stuck guarding (James).”

James recovered in the second half, scoring 22 of his of team-high 24 points in second half, including 15 in the fourth quarter. But it was not enough.

“No excuses for time off or anything else,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We’re up four, regardless of how we played, going into the fourth quarter, and give them credit because they exploded for a 35-point quarter in the fourth. Obviously, that’s not going to get it done in the playoffs.”

The Bulls outscored Miami 35-24 in the fourth quarter and shot 52.6% from field, including 3-for-5 on three-pointers, and held the Heat to 42.1% shooting and 1-for-6 on threes in the final 12 minutes.

It’s way too early for panic in Miami. The Heat were down in each of their final three series on their way to last year’s championship — 2-1 against the Indiana Pacers, 3-2 against the Boston Celtics and 1-0 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“This is what the playoffs are all about,” James said. “We’re going against a really good team and we know that so we’ll prepare tomorrow and get ready for Game 2.”

The Heat didn’t pick up where they when they eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 4 on April 28.

The rest vs. rust debate — a topic for the Heat during an eight-day layoff — turned into a factor immediately. While the Heat wanted rest, they were anxious to play a game, and the time off in conjunction with the Bulls’ outstanding defense disrupted Miami, especially on offense.

Miami shot 26.3% in the first quarter and 33.3% in the first half and was 3-for-13 on three-pointers in the first half. James was 1-for-6 for two points, a new playoff halftime low in scoring for the four-time MVP. Chris Bosh was 0-for-4, and Shane Battier and Mike Miller were 2-for-10 on three-pointers.

“We wanted to defy the odds and not come out sluggish, but we did” said Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who had 14 points on 7-for-16 shooting. “We came out and a lot of our shots hit short. … The Bulls came in and grinded and won it. We had our opportunities and aren’t going to use the seven days off as a crutch.”

The Bulls know how to play – and beat – the Heat.

During the regular season, Chicago was 2-2 against Miami, beating the Heat once on the road and once at home. The home win on March 27 ended the Heat’s 27-game winning streak. Also, Miami is 41-3 since Feb. 3, and two of those losses were against the Bulls.

But still, the Bulls limped into the series.The Bulls just won on the road in Game 7 against Brooklyn, and now they won on the road in Game 1 against Miami.

“Going into each series and each game, you’re always faced with different challenges,” Thibodeau said. “For us, it was the quick turnaround. For the Heat, (it was) the layoff. It’s how quickly you could adapt to whatever challenge is in front of you. We’ve been hit all year with a lot of different things. I like the mental toughness of our team.”

Chicago limited the best-shooting team in the league to 39.7% shooting, including 29.2% on three-pointers. The Heat were 10 percentage points better from the field and on three-pointers during the season.

“Our offense wasn’t as fluid and as efficient as it normally is,” Spoelstra said. “You have to give credit to their defense for that. They take you out of the first couple of options. We can show more poise and patience and aggressiveness to play through that.”

It was the kind of game the Bulls favor. Their masterful defense prevented the Heat from running in transition and running away with game. Expect the Bulls to replicate that as much as they can. It is also a testament to Thibodeau’s coaching schemes and his ability to plug any guy into the lineup and barely suffer.

Even more remarkable, Chicago beat Miami without guard Kirk Hinrich, who has a bruised left calf, the hospitalized Deng, and of course point guard Derrick Rose, who hasn’t played this season but won’t rule out a possible return.

Robinson has been surprisingly effective in place of Hinrich in the starting lineup. He scored 34, 20, 18 and 12 points in the final four games against Brooklyn and started this series with an unstoppable finish. He also required 10 stitches on his upper lip when he smashed his face on the floor diving for a loose ball with James. He spit out blood and went to the locker room for a shot to numb his lip and stitches.

“He’s about as confident as they come, and that’s the thing that makes him good,” Thibodeau said. “If he misses a shot, he has a very short memory. He always thinks he’s hot. He’s never afraid. He’ll step in a big situation. He has the courage to take and make.

“He got knocked around a little bit, a couple stitches. It’s all good. Get out there and get it done.”

Nothing less is expected from a Thibodeau-coached team. Get out there and get it done. The Heat knew that coming into the series.

“No matter who’s in uniform, they’re going to play Chicago Bulls basketball,” James said an hour before the game. “It’s what Thibs has built since he’s been there. They have a no-excuse mentality no matter who’s in the lineup.”

Thibodeau walked away from Game 1 sounding like the losing coach.

“Like I said, this is just one game. We’re going to have to play a lot better in our next one,” he said. “We have to make our corrections. … There are things defensively that I know we have to clean up.”

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

MIAMI – In what was a foregone conclusion all season, leaked Friday and made official on Sunday, Miami Heat forward LeBron James was named the 2012-13 NBA MVP.

It was the fourth time in his 10-year career that James has won the award, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six MVPs), Michael Jordan (five), Bill Russell (five) and Wilt Chamberlain (four) as the only players to win MVP at least four times.

“I’m a historian of the game. I know these guys paved the way for myself and the rest of us who are now active. It’s very humbling,” James said on Saturday.

James did not lead the league in any major category, but he led the league in all-around play, averaging 26.8 points, eight rebounds and 7.3 assists while shooting a career-high 56.5% from the field. He is the only player in NBA history, according to basketball-reference, to average at least 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and shot at least 56% from the field.

He also averaged 1.7 steals and shot a career-high 40.3% on three-pointers, leading the Heat to the league’s best record at 66-16.

During Miami’s 27-game winning streak – the second longest streak in NBA history – James averaged 27 points, 8.1 rebounds, eight assists, 1.9 steals and shot 57.5% from the field. He had 15 double-doubles and two triple-doubles in those 27 games.

He also became the first player to score at least 30 points and shoot at least 60% in six consecutive games. In the seventh game, he had 39 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in Miami’s 110-100 victory at Oklahoma City. But he shot only 58.3%.

“He’s a total team guy,” teammate and friend Dwyane Wade said. “He’s humble. … He’s special. He understands the gift God gave him and he understands not many have it and it doesn’t last for too long and he wants to make sure he maximizes it.”

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson likes veteran players so much even his rookies are old.

New York’s decision before the season to sign Pablo Prigioni, who will turn 36 on May 17, for his first NBA season after a successful international career has worked.

In 21 games with Prigioni in the starting lineup, the Knicks are 18-3, including 2-1 in their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

“He’s brilliant,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “He’s another Jason Kidd-ish type of guy. It just gives them another smart player on the floor and another guy that can create plays. That makes them really good.”

Game 5 is Wednesday in New York (7 p.m. ET, TNT), and the Knicks, up 3-1 in the series, can eliminate the Celtics and prepare for their next opponent, either the Atlanta Hawks or Indiana Pacers.

Prigioni missed Game 1 with a sprained right ankle but started the next three games. The point guard from Argentina, who also has citizenship in Italy, doesn’t do one thing spectacular – just everything well.

He doesn’t score a ton of points, but makes necessary shots. He doesn’t deliver a ton of assists, but facilitates ball movement, leading to baskets. Prigioni is also a pesky defender willing to pick up the other team’s point guard before half court to slow and disrupt the opponent’s offense.

“Pablo is very aggressive, a guy who just bothers you the whole game, stays on top of you, stays in you, is just always nagging you the whole game,” Knicks point guard Raymond Felton said. “And that’s something that’s big for us. He initiates our whole defense. When we see him out there working as hard as he does, playing as hard as he does, it makes us want to play, too.”

The Knicks flooded their backcourt with veteran point guards, dismissing – like other teams are doing – the notion of a traditional lineups with a point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center.

The Knicks have no problem playing two point guards at the same time – either Felton and Kidd, Felton and Prigioni or Kidd and Prigioni.

“It’s unique having two point guards out there because they both can run the team and they both do a real good job of defending,” Woodson said. “Pablo sets the tone from a defensive standpoint, getting up the floor and applying pressure. It doesn’t hurt that he can run a team. It frees Raymond up from really having to pound the ball and make plays all the time.”

Prigioni played in 78 games and started New York’s final 18 games of the season. He averaged 3.5 points and three assists in 16.2 minutes per game and scored in double figures just three times. But his presence makes a difference.

During the regular season, New York scored .3 more points and allowed 3.8 points less per 100 possessions with Prigioni on the court, according to NBA.com/stats.

His minutes have jumped to 25.3 in the playoffs, and he is averaging 4.3 points, 3.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds and less than one turnover against Boston. Three games is a small sample size, but the Knicks allow just 84 points per 100 possessions with Prigioni on the floor and 92.2 with him on the bench.

In New York’s Game 3 victory at Boston, Prigioni made two three-pointers in the four minutes, 32 seconds and ended with nine points and five steals.

“It’s no coincidence that when he’s in the lineup they’ve played better. It’s because they have a lot of IQ on the floor at the same time,” Rivers said.

A veteran of high-quality international games, including several seasons in Spain’s top pro league, Prigioni is comfortable in big moments.

The Celtics believe the pressure is on the Knicks, and that might be true in No. 2 seed vs. No. 7 seed series. But there’s a reason Woodson likes experienced players. They can handle the pressure.

Copyright © 2013 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

Source: USA TODAY

MILWAUKEE — The Miami Heat may not have a preference who they play in the second round. Chicago Bulls or Brooklyn Nets, it doesn’t matter to the Heat.

That doesn’t mean Miami doesn’t have a rooting interest.

The Heat are pulling for a seven-game series between the Bulls and Nets — the longer, the better for the Heat, who seek rest and recovery, especially for shooting guard Dwyane Wade, who missed Game 4 Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Heat missed Wade but still swept the Bucks with an 88-77 victory.

It was the first series sweep for the Heat since forwards LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Wade in 2010-11. The Heat had chances to sweep the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round in 2011 and the New York Knicks in the first round lasts season. But both teams were able for fifth games.

“It was gratifying to get something we have done with this group which is to close out a team 4-0,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The Heat didn’t exactly through the motions, and even without Wade, it was far from their best performance. But shorthanded, the Heat are still the superior team, winning four games by average margin of 14.8 points. Miami won each game by at least 11 points.

The Bucks hung around long enough to make it interesting.

“Our guys played really hard so I was proud of the effort they put out there today,” Bucks coach Jim Boylan said. “We lost to a better team. That’s all it is.”

The Bucks trailed 69-67 with 9:34 left in the fourth quarter. But a crafty backcourt steal by Mario Chalmers led to a Ray Allen three-pointer on an assist from James, and James fed Mario Chalmers for a three-pointer, giving the Heat a 75-67 lead with 8:25 remaining.

“It’s just good to have the depth that we have so I can draw two defenders and find shooters,” James said.

In a 19-4 run that extended Miami’s lead to 88-72, James either scored or assisted on every Heat basket. His four assists were all on three-pointers.

“LeBron probably more than anything settled us. We ran virtually every part of our offense through him one way or another,” Spoelstra said.

Said Boylan: “At some point during that stretch right there, I think he decided he was going to have his imprint on the game, and he did in a big way — all kinds of ways, passing, shooting, his defense. When you’re a superstar player like he is, that’s what superstar players do.”

James led the Heat with 30 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Bosh and forward Udonis Haslem were solid for the Heat. Bosh had 10 points, five rebounds and four blocks, and Haslem 13, five and two.

Reserve guard Ray Allen also had his third stellar game of the series. He had 16 points after scoring 20 in Game 1 and 23 and Game 3. The NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers made, Allen connected on 13 of 28 threes against his former team.

Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings, who predicted the Bucks in six over the Heat, continued his shooting struggles. He shot 1-for-7 for three points and was 17-for-57 (29.8%) in the series. Jennings did not play in the fourth quarter.

“The matchups that were out there, I just felt like we needed to stay with the guys who were out there because they were giving us a little offense,” Boylan said. “It was one of those decisions that was tough to make.”

Guard Monta Ellis led the Bucks with 21 points, and Mike Dunleavy added 17 off the bench.

The Heat now turn their attention to their next opponent and getting Wade healthy. The Heat will not play until Saturday at the earliest, depending on how long the Bulls-Nets series lasts.

“The biggest focus for us will be keeping ourselves physically ready, and that’s probably the most abnormal of the circumstances,” Spoelstra said. “You’re used to playing every 48 hours or so. That’s the NBA rhythm when you get into the playoffs.

“We’ll have to make sure we strike a balance between our conditioning – stay fit, work our game, get after it with pads in practice and also make sure guys are healthy and we’re not doing too much.”

Wade warmed up on the court Sunday afternoon and returned to the locker room to discuss his status with Spoelstra and the team doctor and trainer.

“There wasn’t an improvement really from how he felt toward the end of the game last game,” Spoelstra said. “But he is making progress. We’ll continue to evaluate him every day. … But the big picture is in the last three weeks and month he’s been making big strides, and it’s important to keep that in perspective.”

It was just the second playoff game he has missed in his career – sitting out Game 6 against the Detroit Pistons in the 2005 conference finals.

Wade was 1-of-12 from the field and scored four points in Miami’s 104-91 victory in Game 3. He also had 11 assists, nine rebounds, five steals and six turnovers. Wade took light offense when TNT’s Craig Sager implied Wade wasn’t a factor in the last two Heat victories.

“”I wasn’t a factor last game?” Wade said.

“You were except for the scoring,” Sager said.

“Except for the scoring, thank you,” Wade said.

Wade welcomes the time off between games and said he will be ready for the start of the next series.

“Obviously, we’re one of the oldest teams in the league, maybe the oldest team when you talk about rotation players,” he said. “Guys have some bumps and bruises coming out of the series so it’s going to be great to get the rest. But we have to take this time to continue to stay sharp and to stay in shape as well.

“I’ll get an opportunity to give my knee more rest and also work on my body.”

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Source: USA TODAY

CHICAGO – The Brooklyn Nets unearthed their offense.

Then, leading by 14 points with less than four minutes to play, the Nets imploded, and Bulls guard Nate Robinson scorched the Nets with 34 points – including 18 in the final 13:45.

In a fantastic back-and-forth, four-hour contest, the Bulls defeated the Nets 142-134 in triple overtime in Game 4 on Saturday and took a 3-1 lead in their first-round NBA playoff series. Game 5 is Monday (7 p.m. ET, TNT).

The ending was anticlimactic after the way the game ended. The Bulls took a 133-128 lead with 3:19 left in the third overtime and the Nets were never closer than three after that.

The antithesis of the middle two games, which were defensive battles and offensive slogs, Game 4 provided offense and entertainment. It tested the physical and mental strength of both teams.

The Bulls were a trace stronger in both areas.

“The game wasn’t going our way to start the fourth, and our guys just kept battling,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “That’s something they’ve done all year. We were down. Our team showed some toughness. They missed some shots. We had some timely shots. Nate made a number of big-time plays and shots. We had a hard time getting stops. We’re fortunate to come out with a win. We played well offensively. We’ve got to play a lot better defensively.”

The Nets came out strong in the third quarter and took an 84-76 lead into the fourth quarter and built a 109-95 edge with 3:45 left in the fourth quarter. However, Chicago outscored the Nets 16-2 the rest of the way, forced overtime and pulled off a stunning victory.

It was a colossal collapse by the Nets, who need to win three consecutive games to extend their season.

“We need to focus on Monday,” Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said. “We made some mistakes and had some tough calls go against us. We just have to focus ahead and not talk about things we could’ve done. … It was both teams slugging each other. It went back and forth. … When it is all said and done, we did not do enough things to win. We have to get a win Monday and bring it back here.”

Robinson scored 12 of his game-high 34 points in the final 3:45 of regulation. The diminutive guard was feisty all game, getting into it with former Bulls teammate C.J. Watson in the second quarter, resulting in a double-technical.

Nets forward Gerald Wallace also delivered a hard and clean screen on Robinson with 7:30 left in the fourth quarter. That fired up Robinson.

Bulls center Joakim Noah’s put-back off his own miss tied the score at 111-111, forcing the first overtime. Deron Williams had a chance to win the game but he missed a shot with three seconds left and Jimmy Butler blocked Wallace’s put-back attempt.

“Huge win, huge win. Nathaniel was huge. … I’m just proud of my teammates,” Noah said during the on-court post-game interview with Bulls TV. “Now, let’s go end this in Brooklyn.”

Joe Johnson forced the second overtime with a basket as time expired, and Noah missed a game-winning attempt at the end of the second overtime.

One play that seemed inconsequential at the time turned out to be a pivotal for the Nets. After Watson stole the ball, he missed a fastbreak dunk with no one around him. That would have given the Nets a 111-95 lead with 3:16 left. Instead, Robinson started the comeback with a three-pointer, part of his 23-point fourth quarter.

“He put on a straight show out there,” Bulls forward Carlos Boozer said. “It was like he couldn’t miss. We just kept giving him the ball and let him do what he does. When he’s on like that, let him roll, and boy, was he rolling.”

Boozer (50 minutes) finished with 21 points, and guard Kirk Hinrich (59 minutes), added 18 points and 14 assists, erasing fine performances from Deron Williams (32 points), Brook Lopez (26 points, 11 rebounds), Wallace (17 points, nine rebounds), Reggie Evans (15 points, 13 rebounds) and Johnson (22 points).

The praise for Hinrich came from several directions, none more glowing than from his coach.

“Unbelievable. You’ve got one of the toughest covers in the league in Deron Williams,” Thibodeau said. “Deron Williams, it’s not only the pick-and-rolls. It’s transition, it’s catch-and-shoot, it’s the post, it’s the cutting. He’s in constant motion. You’re getting hit with 100 screens minimum, and he gets around them, over them, through them.

“That being said, his demeanor. Deron Williams has the ability to make (shots). You can defend him great and he still makes. But to come back and defend him great the next time again and again and again, and that shows his toughness. But more importantly, how he runs the team. Everyone gets in rhythm, he sets the tone on ball with his defense, he’s a great leader, a great teammate and he plays to win.”

Brooklyn shot 57.1% through four quarters and had done many of things Carlesimo said the Nets needed to do to win.

“For two teams who are supposed to be pretty good defensively, it was a shootout, and not just because of overtime,” Carlesimo said. “Neither of us did a good job of stopping each other.”

Noah, who is battling plantar fasciitis, had 15 points and 13 rebounds in 39 minutes, the most he has played since March 10. Bulls forward Luol Deng logged almost 57 minutes and had 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

It was indicative of the Bulls’ mental resolve cultivated under Thibodeau.

“It’s an important trait to have as a team,” Thibodeau said before Game 4. “This team has been hit with a lot of things this year. They’ve shown great resolve. We fight. That’s something I think is valuable. …

“We’ve got tough guys. We’ve got the right guys. Attitude and approach are important. That’s something we value, and we’ve gotten great leadership from our veterans.”

The collective playoff experience of Williams, Johnson and Wallace (143 playoff games combined) has not yielded results for the Nets.

This was a game the Nets needed and didn’t get. They made 53.8% of their shots and hit three-pointers – exactly what Carlesimo said needed to happen if the Nets wanted to even the Eastern Conference series.

They had more points at the end of the third quarter than they did in the two previous games, but it appears the Nets are just not ready for the moment.

Brooklyn can look at several areas where the game got away, including defense down the stretch. But they also made just 29 of 45 free throws, and Chicago turned 19 Nets turnovers into 28 points.

“It was an entertaining game, but free throws really hurt us,” Carlesimo said. “Turnovers were really big. That was a major factor in the game.”

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