Bulls not pointing any fingers
A couple days ago, Nate Robinson was the star of the 2013 NBA playoffs. The league even created a television ad depicting people across the globe watching Robinson’s non-game winning bank shot in Game 4 of the Bulls’ first-round series against Brooklyn.
By Thursday, the spotlight shifted to Filomena Tobias, the Heat fan captured in a photo sticking her middle finger in Joakim Noah’s face as he headed to the locker room after being ejected from Game 2. The man with her in the photo is reportedly her personal trainer.
She was quickly identified as a Palm Beach widower, who’s fourth husband, hedge fund manager and CNBC commentator Seth Tobias, was found dead in the couple’s pool in 2007.
A 2008 story in New York Magazine described the ordeal. Filomena Tobias was accused by her Internet psychic of confessing to the murder of her husband, but she was never charged.
Noah brushed off the incident Thursday, while Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau provided his own spin.
“You can’t get wrapped up in stuff that’s not important,” Thibodeau said. “The important thing is to concentrate on focusing on your job, being able to have the physical, mental and emotional toughness to get through all the things you have to go through when you’re on the road.
“For the most part, Jo’s done a good job of that. But as a team, we allowed our frustration to get to us. We can’t do that.”
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Tobias received a code-of-conduct warning, but will not have her season tickets revoked.
“We ask our fans just to cheer for us, to boo them when they come here, but let’s stay first-class around here in Miami,” Dwyane Wade said, according to the Miami Herald.
That would serve as a good message for Bulls fans, as well. When the Heat’s 27-game win streak ended at the United Center on Feb. 27, a fan reached over and tried to pull LeBron James’ headband off as he headed to the locker room.
Heat senses perfect loss:
Before flying to Chicago on Thursday, the Heat shared some opinions of its resounding 115-78 victory in Game 2.
“For Chicago, it’s almost a perfect loss,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “You get beat by a number like that and have guys ejected, you can come back with a clean slate the next game with a chip on your shoulder.
“We can expect great environment. Our guys enjoy that type of atmosphere. We still have to scratch and claw to get back in control of the series. It doesn’t matter how much we won by (Wednesday), it doesn’t change the fact we lost home-court.”
Added LeBron James: “You don’t get two wins if you win by over 30 or 40. You get one game. They’re back in their home building where they’re very good and we have to be ready for them.”
Butler frowns on rest:
Bulls forward Jimmy Butler played a meager 31 minutes in Game 2, snapping his three-game streak of playing all 48 minutes. Butler left early in the second quarter after picking up his second foul.
“I didn’t like it,” he said. “Not because I was playing 48 minutes. I felt like I let my team down. I didn’t get any stops. I take it on myself to be the one to guard (LeBron James).
“He was more aggressive, especially when I picked up my first foul. Everyone knows when you’ve got one, you don’t want to get two. You know how the game goes, you get two early on, you’ve got to go sit. So he continued to attack. That’s what the best players do.”