Miami stayed with Chicago for most of the first three quarters but the Bulls’ strength in numbers eventually proved a decisive factor. Al Dannity breaks down the big stories from Game 1 and analyzes what it means for the rest of the series.
Taj Gibson busts a move Did anyone expect the story of Game 1 to be a second year bench player? Taj Gibson must have watched Space Jam before tip-off because some of his moves were out of this world. First he posterized D-Wade. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekg_vx0hmvk&feature=player_profilepage[/youtube]
Then he tacked on the exclamation point late in the fourth quarter with a nasty putback dunk. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQTlYUTt844&feature=player_profilepage[/youtube]
Gibson’s standout moments were the highlights of a big night for the Bulls bench. Chicago’s reserves combined for 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists, thoroughly outclassing Miami’s back-ups.
Minutes matter Luol Deng may have logged the most minutes of anyone on the floor last night but by and large the Bulls gave their star players more than enough rest in Game 1. Carlos Boozer managed a solid 14 points and 9 rebounds in just 25 minutes of action. Gibson, Ronnie Brewer, and Kyle Korver all logged significant time coming off the bench.
Miami’s lack of depth denied them the luxury of resting their top stars.The big three averaged over 39 minutes each, with LeBron James logging over 41 minutes of action. NBA betting fans expect star players to stay on the court longer in the post-season but there was more to it than that. James, Wade, and Chris Bosh accounted for 63 of the Heat’s 82 points and 9 of their 11 assists. It wasn’t just that Miami’s spare parts weren’t scoring, they weren’t even creating scoring opportunities for their stars. Mike Bibby, who entered the game with the worst single-season playoff statistics in NBA history, was once again a non-factor. Having been a spark for Miami late in the year, Bibby looks like the rest of the scrubs Miami have in support of their big names.
Miami must find another outlet The success Chicago enjoyed was down largely to its ability to find a second option. The big three did a fine job bringing pressure in defense but at times it looked like 5 on 3 as the Bulls had no trouble finding a second option. Miami needs to create better in order to neutralize that advantage. LBJ, Bosh, and Wade, can do the lion’s share of the scoring but Miami won’t survive five games if their stars are forced to create every attacking opportunity. Bibby and Mario Chalmers simply aren’t doing enough in this regard. Anything short of a massive turnaround will see this series end quickly.
