Bulls Lower the Heat

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Apr 28, 2006 1:32PM

It's amazing what happens when a team plays some defense! While the Bulls had allowed the Miami Heat to score an average of 113 points in the first game to their own 107, last night saw the Bulls beat the Heat 109-90.

Ben Gordon led a balanced attack with 24 points, followed by Kirk Hinrich with 22, and Andres Nocioni and Loul Deng each chipped in 19.

The Bulls defense shut down Shaquille O'Neal, limiting the superstar to benchwarmer stats -- 8 points, 4 rebounds and 7 turnovers. The biggest mismatch matchup in this series, if the Bulls can continue to hold down Shaq, they might actually have a chance.

Michael Jordan was seen cheering on the Bulls from a skybox last night, clearly enjoying the rebirth of the franchise he to took to levels rarely seen in sports. This team has a long way to go to equal what MJ's teams of the 90's did, be they sure look like they're moving in the right direction.

Chicagoist hopes we'll see another Bulls victory on Sunday, although they will still likely exit the playoffs in the first round this year. But last night's win, along with the two tight games in Miami, shows that the difference between them and the #2 seed isn't that great. As the current players mature, a top-3 draft pick gets added to the mix and the Bulls use salary cap money to bring in some help via free agency, this team could be the #2 seed next year.

Image via Yahoo!News