NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Miami’s “Big Three” are safely through to the final four and appear to be building momentum with only the top-seeded Chicago Bulls standing between the Heat and a berth in the NBA Finals.
The skeptics who thought LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh would struggle to combine their individual skills in their first season together are now having second thoughts.
After a mixed start to the season, the Heat have suddenly found their form at the right time, winning the Southeast division in the regular season and finishing second to the Bulls in the Eastern Conference standings. Miami’s All-Star trio saved their best for the playoffs, steering the Heat to a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round and then a surprisingly swift 4-1 win over the Boston Celtics in the conference semi-finals.
James and Wade are both averaging more than 26 points in the playoffs while Bosh is averaging just over 16 points to go along with his team-leading 9.6 rebounds per game. “We understood that for us to be successful as a team we had to be leaders together, to demand more of each other,” said Wade about merging their talents.
“We’re the best of friends. Nothing that’s said on the basketball court will hurt my feelings or his feelings. We both listen and we move on from it.”
It has been smooth sailing so far but the Bulls are likely to present more difficulties to Miami than the aging Celtics when they meet in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final starting Sunday in Chicago.
Chicago have not advanced this deep into the playoffs since 1998, when Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were en route to capturing a second three-peat of NBA titles. This year they are being led by 22-year-old Derrick Rose, who became the youngest winner of the league’s most valuable player award in early May, an honour that has only inspired him to greater heights.
Rose is averaging 28.8 points in the playoffs and combining well with his team mates, especially Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah, the son of former French Open champion Yannick Noah.
The Bulls are brimming with confidence after rolling by the Indiana Pacers 4-1 in the opening round and then eliminating the Atlanta Hawks 4-2 in the conference semi-finals.
The winner of the Eastern Conference final will play either the Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder or Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Finals.
