The Miami Heat awarded themselves some much-needed rest following their sweep of the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs.
Watching their next opponents - the Chicago Bulls - play a grueling 7-game series with the Brooklyn Nets before ultimately advancing, Miami was in position to continue a stellar postseason run since many believed the Bulls would be fatigued at the beginning of the series.
Chicago put to rest all doubts as to whether or not they'd be able to compete with Miami, handing the Heat a 93-86 defeat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Following a rare home loss, Miami dominated Game 2, pummeling the Bulls 115-78 and evening the series at one game apiece.
With the series now moving to Chicago, Game 3 will tip on Friday, May 10that 8:00pm, EDT. Television coverage will be provided by the ESPN network.
While the Bulls were the more physical team in Game 1, Miami responded in championship style in Game 2, shutting down the Bulls for a majority of the contest.
The play of Bulls guard Nate Robinson has been a major storyline this season since he's played extremely well with the absence of starting point guard Derrick Rose but Robinson was never able to find a rhythm in the latest Chicago loss.
In 33 minutes of action, Robinson scored 11 points and struggled mightily from the floor shooting a dismal 3-for-10. As a team Chicago shot under 36% from the field and failed in the rebounding department against a determined Miami team.
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As the series moves forward to the United Center in Chicago, Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra knows his team can't afford to relish the Game 2 victory.
"We were able to save this one, but we are still in the hole," Spoelstra said to NBA.com reporters. "They got what they needed. They got one. It doesn't matter about the score tonight. We need to move on now and get ready to go into the lion's den on Friday."
Shooting an even 60% from the floor in their drubbing of Chicago, Miami was led by the familiar duo of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. Combining for 34 points, the tandem shot 14-for-23 in the win and combined to distribute 14 assists. Along with their performances, an added bonus for the Heat in Game 2 was the performance future Hall of Famer Ray Allen.
In just 18 ½ minutes, the sharpshooting Allen drilled 5 of 7 from the floor and quickly notched a game-high 21 points.
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Shooting a high percentage from the field and playing shutdown defense helped Miami to a 66-win regular season and the top spot in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.Quickly forgetting their Game 1 struggles, Miami looked like a team capable of winning back-to-back NBA Championships.
As the series now resumes in Chicago however, the Bulls have certainly shown they are extremely capable of competing with the defending champs.
Game 3 from the United Center tips at 8:00pm, EDT on Friday, May 10th. Coverage will be provided for fans through the ESPN television network.
Watch Highlights From Miami's Impressive Game 2 Victory:
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