Running with the Bulls

 So I tried something a little different for my latest post and decided to do a running diary for the Bulls-Heat game on Wednesday. I'm not really sure how this turned out so let me know and if it's good I'll do more and if it sucks I'll throw the idea in the back room with the lost Nixon tapes.

7:15 -- Live from my couch it’s my first running diary. I’ve got basketball pre-game on my tv, Chinese food in my stomach and some Bud Light Limes (screw you it’s a good beer) in my mini fridge. Let’s do this.

7:35 -- Has there been a weirder starting line-up photo than Joel Anthony’s? Apparently he keeps one eye on the ball and one eye on his girlfriend at all times.

7:36 -- My question has been answered, Joakim Noah everybody.

7:40 Miami 6 Bulls 2 – Early on, the Heat seem much crisper on offense. Their passing looks much better than the Bulls and they already they have gotten to the rim twice. If the Bulls can't stop Miami from getting lay-ups and dunks it’s going to be a tough game.

7:41 Miami 6 Bulls 3 – Carlos Boozer commits his second foul of the day. The first one was called while he was brushing his teeth this morning.

7:42 Miami 8 Bulls 3 -- Three out of the first four baskets have been at the rim for the Heat. After not being able to get to the rim in game one, Miami is making a strong effort to fix that in game two.

7:51 Miami 14 Bulls 11 -- The Bulls have made three of their first seventeen shots. Somehow they are only down by three.

7:53 Miami 14 Bulls 13 -- Boozer with the first dunk to scream to emphatic head shake of the night. Boozer would be perfect as a hype man for Jay-Z or Kanye; one of those guys who stands to the side and yells the last word of every other line into a microphone while waving a towel. Tell me he wouldn’t be great at this.

7:56 Miami 15 Bulls 15 -- Rose makes his first field goal with his patented drive to the rim, high shot off the glass, get decked to the floor move. Besides Dirks fade away is there a tougher shot that consistently goes in?

7:59 Miami 15 Bulls 17 -- I bet Franklin and Bash turns out to be pretty good (thoughts from absolutely no one watching the NBA playoffs).

8:02 Miami 15 Bulls 21 -- Three turnovers in a row by the Heat lead to three dunks in a row by the Bulls at the other end. Chicago is starting to turn the tables and dominate the paint at both ends of the floor. If the Bulls can continue their inside scoring it could be a long night for the Lebrons. Also dunks tend to raise a team’s shooting percentage which Chicago has struggled with so far.

8:04 Miami 15 Bulls 21 -- Miami commits another offensive foul for their sixth turnover. The Bulls defense is smothering the Heat right now and they look like the white kid in a New York City pick-up game.

8:07 Miami 19 Bulls 26 -- Deng drains a three as he dribbles past an already headed to the bench Lebron. The seven people watching in South Beach take another bite of their fish tacos.

8:12 Miami 24 Bulls 28 -- The Heat have taken the momentum early in the second quarter (Lebron has taken the momentum early in the second quarter). All of this has been done with Rose, Boozer and Noah on the bench but if Lebron can keep it up Miami should gain ground. Lebron is one of the only guys in the NBA who could take control with Jawon Howard, Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers and Udonis Haslem on the floor with him.

8:16 Miami 24 Bulls 28 -- Mario Chalmers gets his third foul for bending over to tie his shoe. The refs are calling it very tight early and it’s taking away from the game like a person talking in a movie theater. Watching NBA refs can really make you hate the NBA.

8:19 Miami 26 Bulls 32 -- Chicago gets their 89th steal to break away bucket of the first half. The fa-Heat-as are going to need less of those. Wade doesn't foul on the play because he has two fouls already. Thanks refs for directly making the game less exciting.

8:30 Miami 39 Bulls 41 -- Does Carlos Boozer know the Bulls have a game tonight?

8:36 Miami 44 Bulls 43 -- Miami takes the lead for the first time since the early going. Wade has been doing everything for the last five minutes. He is just as important to the Heat as Lebron and didn't get nearly enough credit this year.

8:41 Miami 48 Bulls 46 -- Miami is up by two at half. The Heat offense has been all Lebron and Wade but it is working much better than Chicago’s miss a ton of layups strategy. If the Bulls can make shots they will win but the Heat defense is playing well and Lebron and Wade look ready to take this one over.

9:02 Miami 48 Bulls 46 -- The second half starts after a 20 minute half time. Fortunately it flew by with all those Franklin and Bash commercials.

9:04 Miami 50 Bulls 50 -- Miami's offense actually looks slower when they move the ball and anybody besides Lebron and Wade touch it. It’s painfully obvious how much of their offense is simply those two driving to the rim.

9:15 Miami 57 Bulls 54 -- Rose blows by the entire Heat team and the cameraman but misses another lay-up. He seems tentative around the rim instead of going up with authority as he usually does. The bulls need him to go into eff you mode if their offense is going to hang with the moHeato's

9:18 Miami 65 Bulls 56 -- Back to back fast break lay-ups by Lebron and Wade put the Heat up by eight. The Bulls are still in it because of their defense but they won't win another game if their offense continues to be as inept as it has been tonight. Also if Lebron and Wade play as well as they can in four out of seven games, it will be hard for anybody to beat them (my attempt to jinx the Heat).

9:29 Miami 69 Bulls 64 -- The Bulls are starting to climb back into it as my jinx attempts to gain footing. They are starting to run clean offense and get defensive rebounds.

9:31 Miami 71 Bulls 65 -- Miami takes a six point lead into the fourth quarter after being carried for the last three minutes by none other than Udonis Haslem. Somewhere down by Navy Pier, Carlos Boozer orders his second vodka tonic. It's a little strong.

9:39 Miami 71 Bulls 69 -- The Bulls hit two shots in a row and the crowd has started to climb back into the game. There are nine minutes left and Lebron and Wade are going to have to play the rest of the way. This could be trouble late for the Heatles.

9:44 Miami 73 Bulls 71 -- Derrick Rose is starting to look angry. If he can outplay Lebron and Wade for eight minutes the Bulls can steal this one.

9:52 Miami 73 Bulls 73 -- In one Defensive possession the Bulls shutdown Lebron and Wade is rejected on his way to the hoop. On the following possession the Bulls force up an air ball. This has been the entire game for the Bulls.

9:59 Miami 76 Bulls 73 -- Lebron nails a three coming out of a timeout and has a very scary look on his face. Rose is not outplaying Lebron or Wade and everybody in the Chicago area code is chewing their fingernails.

10:01 Miami 78 Bulls 73 -- The Bulls have gone four minutes without a basket and are only down five. Against The Heat that is absurd defense. If they had gotten anything out of their offense they would have dominated this game.

10:06 Maimi 84 Bulls 75 -- Lebron hits a step back with no time left on the shot clock as he officially takes over this game. If the Bulls get any semblance of offense they win this game, but they ran into the same problems they have in every loss during these playoffs. When Rose does not score the Bulls do not play well and Rose went 7-23 tonight. For those scoring at home, that's not good. If the Bulls can run their offense even at 3/4 of their capabilities they can win this series because their defense keeps them in every game. That's why this game was close even with the Bulls scoring two points in the last seven minutes. Unfortunately for the Bulls, two points isn't going to get it done if they want to beat Miami and move on to the finals.