When the Eastern Conference Finals series between the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls began, the key matchup was between often-maligned power forwards Chris Bosh and Carlos Boozer. Three games in, and the Miami Heat forward has dominated. Bosh carried Miami to a Game 3 series win on Sunday night, scoring 34 points on just 18 shot attempts in a tremendous show of offensive efficiency. Boozer played well too, but it simply wasn't enough for the Bulls to overcome Bosh's explosion.
Chris Bosh Winning Battle Against Carlos Boozer In Heat Vs. Bulls Series
It’s a trend that has continued throughout the series. Bosh and Boozer do not usually guard each other, as both teams use their centers as the primary defender on both players. That said, Bosh has been at his best when Boozer has been in the game. Via John Schuhmann of NBA.com:
60 of Bosh's points in series have come in Boozer's 92 min. on the floor (31 per 48). 14 have come in Booz's 52 min. on bench (13 per 48).
A deeper look shows that when Bosh and Boozer are both on the floor at the same time (which is most of the time), the Heat are outscoring the Bulls by 8.1 points per 100 possessions. Perhaps it's time for Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau to play backup Taj Gibson more and sacrifice Boozer's offense.
Be sure to check out our Heat vs. Bulls hub for more on the series. For more on the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier. For more on the Bulls, visit Blog a Bull and SB Nation Chicago.
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