Clash of the Titans

            After the first regular season game between the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls, I am unsure how I feel about a potential Eastern Conference Final between the two teams.  I usually don't ever feel that a game can have a "playoff feel" in the regular season, but this game was an exception. 

The Bulls were playing on the road without Luol Deng, and they still managed to match the Heat's intensity and keep the score close throughout much of the game.  The game came down to free throws at the end, and neither team's star player could handle the pressure.  LeBron James is notorious for melting down in the fourth quarter or simply not showing up in that time.  Once again, he bricked two free throws that could have iced the game.  Luckily, Derrick Rose also missed two free throws which is extremely uncharacteristic of him.  After the game, LeBron was even shocked.  In an interview after the game, he said he knew Rose was 29 for 29 on free throws in the fourth quarter, so he couldn’t have been feeling very confident about keeping the lead with Rose at the charity stripe.  

Home court advantage is going to be extremely critical for the Bulls in the playoffs.  I do not believe that they can beat the Heat if the Heat are given any sort of advantage.  The one thing about the Bulls that scares me is the will and desire that Derrick Rose plays with every game.  Rose does not like to lose, and he takes it personally.  He responds with huge games and plays with reckless abandon on his way to dismantling opposing teams.