The Miami Heat now looks more like a team on a mission.
Lebron James, Dwyane Wade & Chris Bosh, the NBA’s newest and talk-of-the-town Big Three were just too much to handle for the Boston Celtics as they tore apart the Green-and-White in the final three minutes of Game 5 to win the game (97-87) and the series (4-1).
With the Celtics now put behind them, the Heat’s lone road block before reaching the NBA Finals is their final opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals, which is yet to be decided.
As of the moment, the Chicago Bulls are just a win away from clinching the other Eastern Conference Finals slot as they head to tomorrow’s Game 6, with a 3-2 series lead against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Bulls have Most Valuable Player for the season Derrick Rose in tow. His 33 points in Game 5 that included a dazzling display of inside and outside shots that powered Chicago to that momentum-shifting Game 5 victory.
Should the Bulls win tomorrow, the East’s Finals would feature two of the NBA’s young squads battling it out for the NBA Finals slot.
The East Finals though would be an interesting match up. And I’m sure Miami’s Big Three would have their hands full battling Chicago’s young and tall frontline as well.
Center Joakim Noah, forwards Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng and Taj Gibson are all big-time contributors for the Bulls in the Playoffs. And the presence of first-year head coach Tom Thibodeau, who has gained valuable coaching experience from Doc Rivers, when they were still with the Celtics.
But for the Heat to get past the Bulls, they would need more than just the explosive performances of their Big Three. They also need to get consistent contributions from players like James Jones, Joel Anthony, Mike Bibby and even Mike Miller to ensure Miami’s return trip to the NBA Finals.
Otherwise, if one of the Big Three gets accidentally injured (which I hope not), then the Heat’s championship aspirations will seriously be in jeopardy.