The Bulls kept the momentum going after the monumental win over San Antonio Thursday night. Chicago defeated the Miami Heat 105-100.
It was only five days ago when the sky was falling for the Bulls. The team was riding three-game losing streak and was set to take on the second best team in the East. Had Chicago lost that game, they would have fallen to .500 for the first time since November 11.
There was a ton of pressure coming into that game considering how badly the team had been playing. Plus, they were taking on the second best team in the Western Conference.
Chicago was able to take care of business, but this team had another thing coming Saturday night.
The Bulls have struggled to be taken seriously this season. That isn’t because they haven’t gotten up against the top teams. After all, they have defeated the likes of the Clippers, Cavs, and Spurs. Rather, the Bulls have overlooked some of their lesser opponents on a consistent basis.
However, the script was flipped against the Heat on Saturday night. Chicago was close to letting this game slip away, especially in the first half, but the Bulls were able to outscore the Heat 28-20 in the third quarter propelling them to their 13th win of the season.
Nov 10, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade (3) waves to the fans after defeating the Miami Heat 98-95 at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Dwyane Wade Revenge Game
Dwyane Wade has made it clear that he has nothing but for love for the Heat. There doesn’t appear to be any sort of ill will between Wade and the organization after parting ways this offseason. Nonetheless, with the type of competitor Wade is, he wants to take down his former team every chance he gets.
The future Hall of Famer seemed to have a little extra pep in his step with a magnificent performance against Miami. Wade added 28 points and was a key cog in the Bulls win over his former team.
After the game, Dwyane Wade reflected on the Bulls-Heat rivalry during the Big Three era, specifically in the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals, “We didn’t win a championship that year, but that set us up for a long haul to win the next two championships after that. That series was big for us.”
Obviously the Bulls-Heat games don’t mean nearly as much as they did when both teams were at the top of the Eastern Conference. Either way, any time Wade takes on his former team, he’s bound to come up big.
Dec 6, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) dunks the ball on a pass from guard Dwyane Wade (not pictured) against the Detroit Pistons in the first half at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Another Day at the Office for Jimmy Butler
While, Dwyane Wade was the big story of the night with the game coming against Miami, Jimmy Butler was once again the Bulls best player.
Butler put up 31/7/5 along with attacking the basket at will the entire night. He was able to make 15 of his 16 shots from the charity stripe. At this point only James Harden may be better than Butler in that area.
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Jimmy has clearly established himself as no less than the third best player in the Eastern Conference. And there is a real conversation to be had between him and Paul George as to which one of them is second to LeBron James.
With the way Butler has consistently carried this team on a nightly basis, he ought to get some MVP votes as well. Only if the Bulls finish as a top-four seed in the East. At the same time, though, the MVP race is incredibly competitive this year with James Harden and Russell Westbrook putting up insane numbers.
The point is, Jimmy Butler has covered up a lot of the worts this team has. Without him this team would be making a run at a top-five draft pick.Things would be much worse if it weren’t for Jimmy Buckets.
Nov 10, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade (center) greets guard Isaiah Canaan (right) prior to their game against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The Bulls take down a lesser opponent
I already touched on it a little bit, but the Bulls have had their fair share of struggles against bad teams. If the Bulls want to be consider among the best of the best in the East, they must buck this trend.
Saturday night was a step in the right direction. After the game, Dwyane Wade talked about taking down some of these bottom of the barrel teams, “We lost a game like this earlier this year (Lakers). We weren’t playing great and they found a way to beat us. In this league, there’s gonna be some nights where you play amazing and some where you play just well enough to get a win. Never begrudge a win.”
If the Bulls were able to win these games that their supposed to win, they would have a decent shot at the two seed. Although, it’s tough to say that these are games they should win. It’s still not clear exactly how good this team is. It’s frustrating to see this team play so well against some of the best teams in the league, then drop games to the Lakers and the Mavericks.
Meanwhile, the Bulls are in for yet another game packed with emotions. Tom Thibodeau and the Minnesota Timberwolves will visit the United Center Tuesday, December 13. It will be the first time the two teams have met since the ugly falling out between coach and front office. With the way the Timberwolves have played this year, it’s another game the Bulls, in theory, should win.
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