While some teams seem to be in free fall mode, losing at a wild rate, the Chicago Bulls seem to continue to do whatever it takes to win. Their latest challenge was the second-best Miami Heat, who they defeated in overtime.
The Bulls are the one team that continue to give the Miami Heat trouble, and are certainly a team that they do not want to see during the 2014 playoffs. In another intense Sunday afternoon battle, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Heat with a final score of 95-88.
Miami was previously beaten by the Bulls by a total of 20 points on December 5th, and for some reason, they just cannot seem to beat the Bulls. Chicago is not likely to win the NBA championship, but anything could happen once the playoffs start, right?
It is no surprise that these two teams have had troubles with one another in recent years, and they each continue to show their hatred toward each other. An incident occurred during a game last year that resulted in the ejected of veteran Nazr Mohammed when he shoved Lebron James. Yesterday’s game was no different, as James was kicked, and abused again.
Joakim Noah further explained his hatred for the Heat in a post-game interview, and said “Those guys (the Heat), they’ve ended our seasons a lot (twice in three seasons). That’s where the hate comes from. It’s not, ‘Oh, I hate this guy.’ It’s that these guys ended it – I want what they have. I want a championship, and I know to get there one day, we’re going to have to get through those guys. So that’s the hatred.”
The Chicago Bulls are on quite a roll right now, but due to the significant injuries that they have faced this season, particularly Derrick Rose, they struggled during much of the earlier part of the season. They have relied on other players since, and are rising toward the top as a force to be reckoned with.
Fun Fact: In the James-Wade-Bosh era, the Chicago #Bulls are 7-1 in regular season home games vs. the Heat.
— Sports Update (@MySportsUpdate) March 10, 2014
Since the departure of Derrick Rose from the lineup, Joakim Noah has been forced to step up, and has been a major contributor in the past few months. He has given big numbers, continues to work well with his teammates, and was even one of the biggest stars for the Eastern Conference in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game.
The Chicago Bulls have been giving their best effort in multiple games lately, but always seem to perform at another level when it comes time to play Lebron James and the Miami Heat. The Heat are currently stuck at second place, but if the Pacers continue to lose, they may be able to claim the top spot before the playoffs start.
This feels like a playoff game… #loveit @chicagobulls @MiamiHEAT @ABCNetwork
— Sage Steele (@sagesteele) March 9, 2014
On the other hand, the Bulls are 35-28, and in fourth place in the conference, which would have them matched up against the Washington Wizards if the playoffs were to start right now.
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