Chicago Bulls pondering ways to deal Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem in Game 3 – NBA Update
Miami Heat’s power forward Udonis Haslem missed the last 69 games of the regular season with a torn ligament in his left foot and played for only seven minutes in the Heat’s first 11 playoff games. However, in the Eastern Conference
Finals against the Chicago Bulls, it is Haslem, who has made a huge difference. He has proved himself as the best option from the bench whenever Miami needed him.
Haslem was dynamic in game-2 of the Eastern Conference best-of-seven finals. The 30-year-old not only scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds in Miami’s 85-75 victory over the Bulls in the second game of the series on Wednesday
night at the United Center, but he drew a charge on the league MVP, Derrick Rose.
The Bulls centre Joakim Noah, a fellow Florida alumnus, praised the great performance of Haslem in the second game of the series, and said, “He played very well,’’ ‘‘you have got to give credit where credit is due. The guy did
not play all year, and for him to come out and play the way he did . . . I have a lot of respect for that player. It is on us.’’
The Wolfson High School’s product blocked a shot by the Bulls guard and kept several loose balls alive. He simply beats Chicago at its own game played at its own home court.
In addition to a 13-point spurt, it was difficult for the American professional basketball player to watch his team lacking in exactly what he himself is an expert in providing. Therefore, he came off the bench with nine of his
points on 4-for-4 shooting in the third quarter.
Miami coach Erik Spoelstra acknowledged his great contribution and said, "He's an absolute championship warrior," "What he did is remarkable. Now I question myself for not using him earlier.
With LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in action, to come out even with Haslem might be more challenging than the Bulls think. The Heat was in search of a right piece around the Big Three, and it is none other than Haslem
who fits perfectly.
Haslem wanted to play the important minutes of Sunday night’s game of the series and wanted to produce his best against the Bulls. However, the question for Miami is how Haslem will respond after playing more than four minutes
in a game for the first time since November 20, 2010. In addition to that, he did not practice Friday.
However, he was confident that he would be ready for game-3 on Sunday evening. He told reporters in Miami, ‘‘I feel fine,’’ ‘‘I had an opportunity to rest again, and I will be right back at it [Saturday] to get ready for Game 3.’’
Haslem might not repeat his game-2 performance again, but the Heat’s coach might have a decision to make regarding his starting line-up after his remarkable comeback.
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