“Chi-town, Illinois vs. South Beach, Florida.”
By Ladarius Tunstall
With the regular season almost behind them, it’s time for the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat to prepare for the 2010-2011 NBA Playoffs. They are the #1 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, where the Bulls went on to win the NBA championship every time.
The Chicago Bulls are the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Their record is 53-
19. They defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 95-87 on March 26. Their next game is on
March 28 against the Philadephia 76ers .
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 subpar 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 51-22.
They defeated the Houston Rockets 125-119 on March 27. Their next game is on Mar.29 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.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.
Now, they are on a two game winning 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 as they adjust to the new line-up of James, Wade, Bosh, and due to lackluster defense and inconsistency in the closing moments of games. Their last NBA Finals appearance was in ‘06 when they 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 January 15, 93-89 on February 24, and 87-86 on March
6. They swept the Heat leaving the season series 3-0.