Heat at Bulls
THE STORY: The Heat's Big Three united in Miami with the goal of winning multiple NBA titles. The trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh can take another major step toward that goal Thursday as the face the host Chicago Bulls in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final. Miami dominated overtime to earn a 101-93 win in Game 4 and take a 3-1 lead in the series.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT
ABOUT THE BULLS: Poor execution cost Chicago a chance to even the series heading back to the Windy City for Game 5. The Bulls turned the ball over 19 times in the game, highlighted by back-to-back turnovers in the extra session that allowed the Heat to pull away. Derrick Rose managed to put up 23 points but shot just 8 for 27 from the field and had seven turnovers. Chicago will need to be more efficient on the offensive end after shooting just over 40 percent from the field and 6 of 24 from 3-point range. The defense performed well in regulation but couldn't rein in Miami's big guns in overtime.
ABOUT THE HEAT: Chicago did a good job of limiting Miami's effectiveness from the field, but James and Bosh aggressively attacked the rim and were rewarded for their efforts. James was 14 for 14 from the free throw line while Bosh finished 10 for 11 from the stripe. The glaring free-throw discrepancy - Miami took 16 more foul shots than Chicago - helped keep the Heat in the hunt before taking control in overtime. The win puts the Heat a victory away from their first trip to the NBA Finals since winning it all in 2006. Should Miami wrap things up and the Dallas Mavericks beat Oklahoma City in Game 5, the Finals could begin as early as Sunday.
WHO'S HOT/WHO'S NOT: Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer both had 20 points while shooting 50 percent from the field Tuesday. The Bulls will need similar efforts from both players if they hope to extend the series. Wade was far from his best in Game 4, making just five of 16 shot attempts for 14 points.
KEY STATISTIC: +71 - The plus-minus rating accumulated by Miami's bench in Game 4. Mike Miller was a +36, Udonis Haslem finished +25 and Mario Chalmers was +10.
LAST WORD: The Heat improved to 40-5 this season in games where James, Wade and Bosh combine to score 70 or more points.