Bulls 87, Heat 86: Derrick Rose Stars, Miami Comes Up Cold In Crunch Time

It’s the same old story for the Miami Heat: play one of the NBA’s best teams tough until the end, fall behind at the exact wrong moment, and fail to make the game-winning play at the buzzer. And for the Chicago Bulls and Derrick Rose, that script playing out this afternoon gave them an 87-86 victory in Miami and a season sweep of the South Beach power.

After three Luol Deng free throws gave the Bulls a one-point lead late, the Heat had the ball and a chance to win the game. But a LeBron James isolation against Joakim Noah turned into a tough left-handed drive thanks to excellent defense by Noah, and Dwyane Wade’s shot off the rebound clanged off the front iron. As such, the Heat are right back where they’ve always been: in possession of a fantastic core of three stars, and yet amidst swirling uncertainty as to whether those stars can be good enough to win titles.

Through three quarters in Miami, it’s now the sort of close contest most expected from a Heat-Bulls game. Miami leads, 65-63, heading into the fourth quarter.

Derrick Rose’s play helped the Bulls pull the game back to one-possession territory. He had nine of the Bulls’ 23 points in the third quarter, and pulled off one of the better lay-ups you’ll see all year.

It’s been a sleepy Sunday matinee in Miami, but the Heat came alive late in the second quarter against the Bulls to produce a double-digit lead. And by “the Heat,” I mean “the Big Three.”

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh have combined for 41 points, leading the Heat to a 49-40 halftime lead over the Bulls. James leads all scorers with 17 points, and Bosh has 15, with Wade chipping in eight more despite making just four of 10 shots in the first half.

It’s a low-scoring affair in Miami this afternoon, but the Heat have the lead on the Bulls after the first quarter, by a 22-18 score.

LeBron James has led the way for Miami so far, with eight points and two assists, and the Heat’s Big Three of James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh has combined for 17 points.

The Heat, it seems, are not clutch. They have the league’s No. 2 margin of victory and top-five rankings on both offense and defense. But the team with two of the top five players in the NBA has a lack of resolve in the magic hours. They often settle for three-pointers, despite neither of the stars being adept at shooting beyond 18 feet or so. The unpredictability that should follow an amazing two-pronged attack like James plus Wade has devolved into replicated anti-imagination of isolation basketball writ large.

The Bulls and Heat tip off in South Beach at 1 PM Eastern on ABC. For more on the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier. For Bulls commentary, check out Blog-a-Bull and SB Nation Chicago.