Bulls reeling, but stranger things have happened against Heat
If the NBA worked more like international soccer, maybe the Utah Jazz could loan John Lucas III to the Bulls for a day.
Next up for the Bulls on Thursday is the first visit this season from the Miami Heat. What should have been an intriguing battle among Eastern Conference heavy-hitters is now merely the second half of a TNT doubleheader gone horribly awry (Game 1 is the 3-13 Knicks vs. the 5-13 Nets).
Then again, the Bulls have won three games against Miami without Derrick Rose the past two seasons, plus one more in 2011-12 when Rose went 1-for-13 from the field and didn’t play down the stretch. Lucas, C.J. Watson, Nate Robinson and Luol Deng played heroic roles in those victories.
So we’re saying there’s a chance the stumbling Bulls could produce another upset.
“We’ve been losing some tough games,” Joakim Noah said Wednesday at the Berto Center. “It’s always a big game when Miami comes to town. It’s tough. We’ve got to fight through the adversity.”
The Heat has problems of its own. Dwyane Wade sat out Tuesday against Detroit to rest a sore knee. Miami lost that game to end a 10-game winning streak.
On the bright side, second-time Heat forward Michael Beasley scored 23 points against the Pistons. If he does that again Thursday, people might start asking if the Bulls made the wrong call choosing Rose over Beasley with the 2008 No. 1 pick. (Joking).
To relive recent history against the Heat, the Bulls will need to figure out what happened to their defense, which has mostly fallen apart since Rose was lost to a knee injury. Jimmy Butler would help in that regard, but he’s still not close to returning from a turf toe injury.
Remember on opening night in Miami, the Bulls floundered in the second quarter while Butler and Luol Deng were both in foul trouble. The Heat went on a game-changing 17-0 run while Mike Dunleavy and Tony Snell were on the floor. So this is a chance for that pair to totally redeem themselves.
“They’re the two-time defending champion, so I think everybody is chasing them,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “When you win it, that’s what happens. You have to be ready. You know you have to play a great game against them. The way for us to succeed right now is we have to play with great intensity. When you’re short-handed, that’s the way you have to play.”
The Bulls have gotten used to dealing with setbacks. Besides the Rose injury, they’re coming off a triple-overtime loss to the Pelicans on Monday.
Thibodeau asked everyone to withhold their sympathy.
“Derrick’s already moved past it,” Thibodeau said. “He’s thinking about what he’s got to do the rest of the way — this summer, being ready for next year. Talking to me about the team, what we’ve got to do.
“That’s what I see from our team. I don’t see anyone hanging their head. (Rose) is not going to be here. We know that. We’ve got more than enough here. Just concentrate on what we need to concentrate on.”
Bulls game day
Bulls vs. Miami Heat at the United Center, 8:30 p.m. Thursday
TV/radio: TNT/ESPN 1000-AM
At a glance: This isnt quite the colossal matchup it could have been, but the Bulls have beaten Miami without Derrick Rose before. The Heat is coming off a home loss to Detroit on Tuesday, which ended a 10-game winning streak. LeBron James isnt a lock to win MVP this season, but he is averaging 26 points, 6.3 assists, 5.8 rebounds and shooting 59.5 percent from the field. Dwyane Wade is at 18.5 points and didnt play against the Pistons to rest a sore knee. Chris Bosh is averaging 14.5 points, lowest since his rookie season, but hit 3 straight 3-pointers to beat Charlotte on Sunday. Michael Beasley, believe it or not, is the Heats fourth-leading scorer at 11.1 ppg.
Next: Detroit Pistons at the United Center, 7 p.m. Saturday
Mike McGraw