The Chicago Bulls anxiously looked on as LeBron James accepted his MVP award from Commissioner David Stern prior to the start of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night.
Then, they went out and showed all of hoops nation just how little all the pomp and circumstance means in the here-and-now. James might yet look back on his shining moment as one of the greatest of his illustrious career. Chances are, it just wasn’t last evening.
The undermanned and seemingly overmatched Bulls went on a 10-0 spurt over the closing minutes to the stun the defending champion Heat 93-86 on their home floor. Coupled with their streak-busting victory over Miami back in March, that snapped a 27-game roll, the Bulls are now the league’s only team with a winning record against Miami since the LBJ era began three seasons ago.
The Heat were sure to say all the right things in the aftermath, but the looks on their faces seem to tell another story. “We didn’t expect to lose Game 1,” Chris Bosh finally admitted to ESPN. “It’s a kick in the chin. And we’re going to have to get up, dust ourselves off and counter. Playoffs are ugly.
And they can also be masterful. Bulls guard Nate Robinson stood as a symbol of both. With blood dripping from his mouth following a first-half collision with James, it took ten-stiches to close his wounds.
Still, Robinson managed a game-high 27 points and eight assists in leading Chicago. Jimmy Butler Marco and Bellinelli chipped in with 21 points and 14 rebounds and Joakim Noah had 13 points and 11 boards for the Bulls, who were without starters Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich.
“Yet, somehow, someway, as even James would later attest “they put themselves in a better position.” Gam2 is Wednesday night, also in Miami.
"It's tough,” added James. “This is what the playoffs are all about. We're going against a really good team, and we know that. So we'll prepare and get ready."
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