Bulls Sweep Heat
The Chicago Bulls pulled off a sweep of the defending champion Miami Heat on Sunday, closing out the series with a 92-79 victory in Miami. During the series the Heat never seemed to put up the fight they were surely capable of last season. Shaquille O’Neal couldn’t get off the ground and Dwayne Wade was clearly not himself. The Bulls will face the Detroit Pistons, who also swept away their opening round competition.
The Bulls will celebrate for only a short while. Then they will have to focus on the No. 1 seeded team in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons will probably be a better match than the Heat. Said Bulls coach Scott Skiles, “It’s an accomplishment. We’re in a funny position here. We want to enjoy it. It was great. We played well. We played hard all four games. We deserved to win — but we want to keep playing.”
Chicago Bulls tickets are going to be on sale for their second round match up with the Detroit Pistons. If you want to be a part of the excitement as the playoffs get more intense, then you ought to check out StubHub.com, your source for great NBA playoff tickets.
Skiles, Shaq Have Score to Settle?
Chicago Bulls coach Scott Skiles and Miami Heat center Shaquille O’Neal once came to blows when they were teammates on the Orlando Magic. Though both Skiles and Shaq deny that there is any current animosity between each other, this makes for interesting copy and simply must be discussed in a Bulls blog.
Apparently the two went at it after a tough road loss. Their Orlando coaches decided to have an intense scrimmage before a game with the Lakers. Shaq and his former teammate (and current Milwaukee Bucks head coach) Larry Krystkowiak started playing physically down low. The coaches weren’t calling fouls, and the two exchanged a few words. Skiles then suggested the two fight it out. A brief scuffle ensued, and as the players were getting pulled apart Shaq took a swing at Skiles that only mildly connected.
Of course, that was roughly a billion years ago. For fans who get Chicago Bulls playoff tickets, the story is only slightly compelling. A more interesting and pertinent story is all the great NBA playoff games you could see if you get tickets at StubHub.com, the website that knows the meaning of the phrase “Same team, man. Same team!”
Bulls to Play in Miami up 2-0
The Chicago Bulls will return to action tomorrow evening, facing off against he Miami Heat int he third game of their opening round series. Heading into the game on Friday, the Bulls enjoy a 2-0 lead, something that statistically is favorable for an Bulls victory in the series. The next two games will be played on enemy turf, however, and we should expect that certain deficiencies in Miami’s game will work themselves out or be minimized with the help of a friendly arena.
I’m still thinking that the Heat will have to come up with an answer for Luol Deng. Right now Deng is the one factor the Bulls have not been able to handle in either game. Eddie Jones and/or Udonis Haslem will have to do something different, or this is going to be another difficult one for the Heat.
Shaq has yet to let his full presence be felt, something that I expect will happen in both of their home games. If you believe anything about NBA conspiracy theories, then you probably will be looking for the refs to help the Bulls get back into the series. Of course, that kind of stuff is for crazies like Mark Cuban, and not those loyal StubHub.com patrons who purchase Chicago Bulls tickets.
Bulls Up 2-0 vs. Heat
The Chicago Bulls went up 2-0 in their series versus the Miami Heat after their 107-89 victory last night. The defending champion Heat will get a chance to play on their home court on Thursday, when the series resumes. The last time Miami found itself down 2-0 in a playoff series was in last year’s NBA Finals, a series they ended up winning in seven games.
Shaquille O’Neal admitted to being outplayed, not out-reffed, in Game 2. Shaq scored 17 points and had 8 rebounds. Said O’Neal after the game, “We really can’t make any excuses tonight. It was a well played game. They just outplayed us. I had way too many turnovers. They shot the ball extremely well.”
The Bulls amassed a 14-point lead coming into the fourth quarter, which shrunk to as little as seven at one point. Luol Deng had other ideas though. He scored 20 of his 26 total points in the second half. I appears that little was done by the Heat to address stopping him.
If the series makes it back to Chicago, you can get Chicago Bulls tickets at StubHub.com to see game five of this intriguing match up.
Game 2 for Bulls Tonight
Game two for the Chicago Bulls-Miami Heat first round series in the Eastern Conference takes place tonight in Chicago. The second game is always about reacting and responding to the first game, so what will the Heat be doing when they attempt to even the series and avoid a 2-0 deficit?
The main stories coming from last game were the performances of Luol Deng, Shaquille O’Neal, the refs, and Dwayne Wade. Deng Was fantastic, scoring almost at will. The Heat will undoubtedly use a different defensive strategy in order to limit his effectiveness. If you’d like to see what they attempt to do- help better, double team, zone, etc.- then you can try getting Chicago Bulls playoff tickets. But good luck.
Shaq will probably not be deturred by what he believed was unfair officiating last game. Expect him to be his usual self, and by that I mean dominating. I predict the refs wil give him more lee-way this time around. There’s a pattern to these NBA playoff games, don’t you think?
Dwayne Wade’s shoulder seemed like it was capable but maybe not a t full strength. Plenty of eyes will be on his performance tonight if Shaq is stymied again, or a final second shot is needed. If you want playoff tickets to this series or any other NBA post season game, you ought to check out StubHub.com, where people who, unfortunately, can’t make it, will sell their tickets to you.
Bulls Beat Heat in Opener
The Chicago Bulls beat the defending champion Miami Heat in the opening game of their first round series. The Bulls pulled away from the Heat midway through the third quarter and then held Miami off long enough to secure a one game lead in the series.
Luol Deng led all scorers with 33 points, and Ben Gordon added 24. Shaq was quiet during the game, only scoring 19 points. O’Neal played 27 minutes, though he was constantly in foul trouble. After the game Shaq got a lot noisier, blaming his performance on the refs. Said Shaq, “It’s just unfortunate that people fall for that. I’m used to just outplaying somebody and just playing hard, but I guess that’s what you got to do to stop Shaq.”
If you want to see the Bulls play at home again in the series, you should check out StubHub.com for Chicago Bulls playoff tickets for the game Tuesday night. Though many people have picked the Heat to win the series, an opening game loss is a big determinate as to how a series will go. Shaq and the Heat will have to readjust their strategy, especially if the refs are going to keep a close eye on stuff going on down low.
Time to Analyze the Bulls’ Match Ups
Since the playoff picture is set for all of the sixteen NBA teams, the obvious task of analyzing the player match ups at each position rests squarely on the shoulders of sports writers like Yours Truly. When the Bulls take on the Miami Heat this weekend in the opening games of their first round series, one such game-within-the-game is the one taking place between the two teams’ respective centers, Ben Wallace and Shaquille O’Neal.
If you go simply by the numbers, O’Neal will dominate the series points-wise. Though the Bulls don’t count on Big Ben for scoring as much as the Heat do with Shaq, the next logical question is whether Wallace’s touted defense and rebounding can counteract Shaq’s ability to score.
Well, the numbers from this season say this: “Maybe?”
Actually, Shaq Diesel only played in two of the four games that the Bulls met the Heat. One time he was completely ineffective in a blowout loss, the other he led all scorers in a Heat victory. This season didn’t give us any definitive answers. One thing remains certain, however. If you would like to see this colossal match up: Big Ben versus the Big Methuselah, then you should check out StubHub.com for some sweet Chicago Bulls playoff tickets.
Bulls Lose, Get 5th Seed in Playoffs
The Chicago Bulls lost to the New Jersey Nets last night in East Rutherford, locking in their first round match up- a rematch with the Miami Heat. In a 106-97 loss, the Bulls were unable to secure a number two spot in the Eastern Conference, a distinct possibility considering that the Milwaukee Bucks also lost last night versus the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Bulls struggled for most of the game and could not overcome a 15 point deficit that they incurred early in the game. They made a run in the second half, tying the game at 68, but then seemed to watch as the Nets ran away with the victory and a No.6 seed in the playoffs.
It was an all-around poor shooting and defending game for the Bulls. The number one word on everybody’s lips after the game was “frustrating.” Chicago will have to refocus starting today. Their next task is a first round series with the defending champion Miami Heat.
Said Chicago guard Kirk Heinrich, “We still had a solid year and came a long ways. We can’t hang our heads about not getting the two seed. We have to try to shake this off and stay in positive spirits.”
If you’d like to catch the Bulls in action versus the Heat in what should be a very competitive first round, get Chicago Bulls playoff tickets at your source for intriguing match ups, StubHub.com.
Bulls’ Final Regular Season Game Tonight
The Chicago Bulls play the New Jersey Nets tonight in the final game of their regular season. This game has many implications for both teams, and will, unlike many of the games around the NBA tonight, be hard-fought by the teams’ starters.
The Chicago Bulls risk falling as far as fifth in the Eastern Conference standings if they lose tonight against the Nets- and the Cleveland Cavaliers win versus the Milwaukee Bucks. Currently the Bulls are in second place and could wrap up the No. 2 seed in the playoffs if they and the Bucks can win tonight.
The task won’t be easy, though. At 40-41, the Nets are just one win away from finishing without a losing record. They also want to keep the Washington Wizards at bay and secure the 6 seed in the playoffs if they can.
The Nets have beaten the Bulls two of three times this season. Their last meeting was on April 6th, when the Bulls won at home in a blowout, 105-74.
Make sure to check out StubHub.com for Chicago Bulls tickets for playoff games, even if they have to play the defending champion Miami Heat.
It’s like Ben Gordon says, “Truthfully, I don’t really care who we play. Once you get into the playoffs, whoever you go up against, you have to be ready. The teams we have a possibility of facing, they’re all tough teams. I am just concerned with the way we play. If we play to our capabilities, we can beat anybody.”
Bulls Bomb Easter Game
The Chicago Bulls lost 103 to 89 against the Toronto Raptors yesterday. The game was the Raptors’ eighth win out of ten games and a franchise record win being their 28th at home. Bulls’ Ben Gordon said after the game, “I definitely wouldn’t underestimate them going into the post-season, they are a really good team. They have a lot of good individual players and they play well, they play with a lot of energy. It seems like everybody know their role on the team and they just play off each other.”
The Bulls came into this game with seven wins of eight games and although they still have a hold on second place the Raptors’ win put them within a game and a half. The Bulls did shoot a 42 percent night and out did the Raptors’ in rebounds 44 to 41 leading the game by four points at half time. “We didn’t take care of the ball -the guards especially- and it cost us. They were converting on some of our turnovers. We have to do a better job, especially this time of the year,” Ben Gordon was quoted after the game. Hopefully they will do better and true fans can see them do it in person this season by getting tickets to Bulls‘ games on StubHub.com.