Udonis Haslem returned and announced his presence with authority

Wow, I am still fired up about game 2!!!!! Haslem may have tipped this series in the Heat’s direction all by himself. The only way the Bulls are going to beat the Heat is if they out hustle and rebound us. With UD back in the picture I don’t see that happening. There’s no way the Bulls are going to be able to out score us now!!! It’s far from over but I really like our chances now. Go Heat!!!!

One thing for sure, is that come Sunday evening the Bulls will come out hungry to get a win in Miami. Will the Heat let them? Will the Heat be as hungry or will they let complacense set in?

The Bulls have this palpable confidence that no team in the NBA can beat them this season.They believe that as a matter of fact and their record shows it.They have never lost to the same team twice.

The big 3 in Miami believe that if they play very well together, that they are unstoppable.That too has been true in the regular and post season.

The question now is who will come out of these series the winner. Like they say, you take each game as it comes.So game 3 here we are.

Can the Heat keep the heat and pressure on the Bulls? In the past 48 hrs, all we hear from the Chicago camp, is about making adjustments.What will these adjustments be and can the Heat match the Chicago adjustments with their own adjustments?

Let us look at the adjustments the Bulls are likely to make.

1.Derrick Rose has talked about not taking too many floaters in game 2.That he took too many jump shots and few drives to the paint.Will the Heat continue to play him tight and keep him off the lane? How will the Heat defense prevent him from taking floaters in the paint over the Heat big men?

2. In game 2, Derrick Rose showed us that double team can be an effective weapon against him.I did say in one other post here, that he plays very similar like Allen Iverson at his peak, the PG of the Sixers. Fast,witty,talented and tireless.But unlike Iverson he is not good at fade aways, jump shots.Iverson was also better at steals.Like Iverson, Rose does not fare well with double teams or when played tight. The adjustment for Rose will be not to get into traps and to depend more on his supporting cast before the double team comes.He is likely to pass to an open man behind the 3 point arc or find an open man behind the Heat’s defense under the rim. This might require an extra pass from the Bulls. The solution for the Heat defense will be to be on extra alert for these scenarios, the extra pass that will find that open man on the Bull’s offense.I do not see Derrick Rose forcing a jump shot or drive in game 3 as he tried in game 2.If he does drive to the rim, know that he wants to draw foul.

3.Talk about Bulls supporting cast.They have depth both in offense and defense.Expect the Bulls in offense to come with relentless pressure on the Heat’s defense to wear them down.On defense, they will play a sufforcatign defense against the Heat’s big 3 which for all practical purpose is all there is to Heat’s offense.This they can do easily because of the depth of their bench that gives them the luxury of bringing in a fresh guy into the game.Heat can neutralise the pressure on the big 3 if Bibby or Charmers put up big numbers.Either of them should not be shy to take shots or drive to the rim.I hope Coach Spoe plays Mcgoire more for an inside presence.He showed us in game 2 that he can scroe.His foul troubles in game 2 was because he did not have many palying minutes in the regular season to gain ore experience from.I often questioned why coach Spoe was not given his bench more minutes during the regular season.I thought he was keeping some of them injury free for potential trade.

4. I will expect more minutes from the Bulls bench in the first half of game 3 than in game 2.The strategy will be to keep guys fresh for the 3rd and 4th qtrs, which will decide the game.Boozer is likely to play fewer minutes.Expect Thomas to play against Haslem.

For the Heat some adjustments need to be made as well.

1. Paramount to any adjustment is to keep the energy level up at all times as they did in game 3.

2.They still need to do better jobs on trunovers, poor ball handling and rebounds.The Bulls do a better job on the boards than the Heat, not necessarily because they are bigger or more athletic but because they pay more attention and are more antecepating.As soon as the ball leaves the hands of the shooter, the Bulls are already in the air for a rebound.They do not wait to see if the ball goes in or not before jumping for rebounds.Despite the Bulls poor shooting they took as many shots as they did in game 1 because of opportunities they got from second chance opportunities.That was what kept them close in the game.Take that away, it would have been a blow out game for the Heat against the Bulls in game 2.

3.The Heat players on defense are still sometimes slow on rotation.I will expect the Bulls to make them pay for it in game 3.Heat beware, to be fore warned is to be fore armed.

4.The Heat offense is still very predictable and makes it easy for the defense of their opponents.Very flowing passes on offense is a rarity with the Heat.When it comes it comes in spurts.Except for D wade, the offense rarely cut and slash into the paint for easy passes.Passes are done mainly in the periphery or they revert to 1-on-1 offense and isoplation for passes, which allows the opponent to set up their defense. Ask Coach Thib of the Bulls, he knows this too well and will prepare his team well for game 3.At least, his post game conference said much of it.

5.The bench players from the Heat when they come in, more likely than not spread the oponent’s defense and also give resting minutes for Bosh or Dwade.The timing when the bench comes in is very predictable..Makes it a lot easy for the opponents to know that yes, the 3 pointers are in, it is time for us to play perimeter defense.The Heat bench comes in the last 3 minutes or less of each qtr.Why must it be so.Why can’t someone in from the bench come in the 9th or 8th minute of the qtr to disorganise the opponents defense briefly and spice up the offense.Then have one of the big 3 or Bibby or Anthony whoever was resting in that period come in 2 minutes later to finish off with Lebron who alway closes the qtr.

Finally,keep the energy level up through out all 4 qtrs,play tight against Rose, limit second cahnce opportunities, the big 3 paly smart and out of foul trouble as you usually do and you shall be 2-1 up late Sunday night. Once you do that the Bulls will go into panick.

Go Heat, Go!