The Heat certainly aren't going down without a fight - and they proved that Wednesday night in a 85-75 victory over the Bulls. In the first few minutes of Game 2, the Heat seemed to have learned little from their first Eastern Conference final loss. But then came Udonis Haslem.
As SI.com's Ian Thomsen explains, Haslem wasn't a sure-fire answer to what was shaping up as a repeat performance of the Heat's Game 1 loss.
"Was he [ready]? No one could be sure," Thomsen writes of Haslem. "Not until he began to change the game, shouldering it and levering it and bodying up against the season-long trends that the Bulls had created and finally compelling them to swing the other way. Miami's 85-75 Game 2 victory Wednesday was won on the boards, in the paint and in transition, which is where Haslem used to thrive, and where he thrived now again. And not a game too late for the Heat."
But when all was said and done, Haslem's 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal in the course of 23 minutes - combined with LeBron James' 29 points and Dwyane Wade's 24 - proved to be a critical factor in the Heat's victory. With the series tied 1-1, expect Sunday's Game 3 match-up at American Airlines Center to be a hard-fought battle between Miami and Chicago.
Up tonight:
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks (9:00 p.m., ET) - The Thunder will look to even up their Western Conference final when they take on the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center tonight.
By The Numbers
$200,000 - Amount Players winner K.J. Choi donated to victims of the tornados that swept through the southeastern United States.
19 - Number of athletes included on Forbes' Celebrity 100 list.
2-1 - Odds on Preakness favorite Animal Kingdom heading into Saturday's race.
Sorry for the postings but if it is true this is an unfolding emergency and I haven't figured out how else to contact CNN. I do not know if it is true but it appears to be a dire emergency that should be investigated as soon as possible.
I recieved info that as of 10:30 am EST may 19 a crowd of armed extremeists have surrounded a coptic church in the ains shams district of Cairo. The army allowed them to gather and had not disbursed them. The priests and deacon are inside.
I am posting this to several comments pages as it seems the only way to contact cnn. I am not saying that I know this is really happening as it was a post on a facebook page. I hope CNN can investigate and, if its true, alert the world.
Muslims are smelly.
Not that I mind smelly. I do likes me some sweaty chocolate meat log.
A temporary setback.
DA BULLS!!!!
Good post, banasy. Thank you.
The only thing about hoops that Cesar likes is when he picks my rolls.
Took all that they had and yet Heat barely beat them.
I suk and swallow 4FREE.
I did a whole team of cheerleaders once. They were all men.
I like basketball. I always play with two balls though. I dribble so well.