“Chi-town, Illinois vs. South Beach, Florida.”
By Ladarius Tunstall
Now that the regular season is almost over with, it’s time for the Chicago Bulls
and the Miami Heat to prepare for the 2010-2011 NBA Playoffs. They are the #2 and #3
seeds in the Eastern Conference.
The Bulls-Heat rivalry began when the Miami Heat became playoff contenders
during the 1990’s. During this decade, the Heat were eliminated by the Bulls three times,
and went on to win the NBA championship every time.
The Chicago Bulls are the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Their record is 4418. They defeated the New Orleans Hornets 85-77 on Mar.7. Their next game is on Mar.
9 against the Charlotte Bobcats.The Bulls are a force to be reckoned with. With the inside
presence of Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah led by All-star point guard Derrick Rose,
they are sitting atop the Eastern Conference.
It is because of these three that the Bulls have gone from a sub par team to a
playoff caliber team. The Bulls look to Derrick Rose to lead the team to victory. Many
believe that the Bulls may go all the way to the NBA Finals and win.
Junior Araceli Sanchez said “I had the Bulls to beat the Heat because I like them
more than any other team. They are going to win the final two games of the series. The
Bulls are going to the NBA Finals because of how Derrick Rose carries his team on his
own.”
The Miami Heat are the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Their record is 43-21.
They lost to the Portland Trailblazers 105-96. Their next game is on Mar.10 against the
Los Angeles Lakers. With the arrival of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, much excitement
has been brought to the city of Miami. The Heat started the season off 9-8. Additionally,
they are on a 5 game losing streak. Their main problem is closing games and not knowing
who can finish the game.
Many believe that the Heat will not even go to the NBA Finals due to this being
their first year with James, Wade, and Bosh; lack luster defense, and inconsistency in the
closing moments of games. Their last NBA Finals appearance was in ‘06 in which they
had won their very first NBA championship. The Bulls’ last NBA Finals appearance was
in 1998, which was the Jordan era.
. Junior Derrick Scott said “I roll with the Bulls during the regular season because
of their defense. In the playoffs, I’m going to roll with the Heat. The Heat are going to
the NBA Finals because of the ‘Big 3’ and clutch shots.”
These two teams have met each other three times this season, with the Bulls
winning each meeting: 99-96 on Jan.15, 93-89 on Feb.24, and 87-86 on Mar. 6.