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Regardless of what the Bulls players think after the season, at least the season isn't over yet, and everyone's main focus will be on the upcoming game. Eastern Conference Finals, Bulls vs Heat, both teams are old rivals, know each other well, and there are far fewer twists and turns in the battle.
On May 18, the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals had just begun, and both teams were fully engaged.
For the Heat, James and Wade frequently attacked the basket, putting great pressure on the Bulls' interior defense. Gasol Jr. quickly picked up two fouls, and even Wang Chong got one.
Despite this, the Bulls didn't back down and immediately defended. Wang Chong, Curry, and Danny Green's three-pointers made it difficult for the Heat to stop them.
Both teams kept trading baskets, and the game became tough to resolve for a while, making the fans in the Bulls' home arena nervous.
Indeed, the Heat, who were on fire, had the firepower to compete with the Bulls offensively, but only if they were on the attack.
The biggest gap between the Heat and the Bulls was that the Bulls had an excellent three-point shooting game, while the Heat's offense mainly relied on attacking the basket.
At first, both teams still fought hard, but as the game progressed, the difference began to widen as the Bulls' three-point shooting outpaced the Heat's two-point game.
The Heat recognized this problem in time and started focusing on perimeter defense, but the Bulls' offensive scheme closely resembled that of the future Golden State Warriors, with a focus on off-ball movement, screens, and pick-and-roll plays, helping Wang Chong and Curry get open perimeter shots.
In short, it was nearly impossible to stop the Bulls from shooting threes, and the only hope was that their shooting percentage would drop after quick movements.
But the Bulls' players were on fire that night, especially Wang Chong, who rarely ever missed, with Curry and Danny Green also performing well beyond expectations.
As a result, the Bulls had a five-point lead at the end of the first quarter, and by halftime, they were up by eight.
In the second half, the situation became even more unfavorable for the Heat, as both teams' key players were physically exhausted, and substitutions were needed.
The Heat's bench could be described as a desert—barely any help—while on the Bulls' side, Thomas Jr. replaced Curry and immediately took control of the game, using his speed to continuously attack the basket.
At just 1.75 meters tall, Thomas Jr. was a headache even for Howard, who had to crouch down to defend him and be careful not to get penalized for even the slightest physical contact.
For the Heat, the most dangerous moment came a few minutes after the coach substituted James out of the game.
Without James on the court, the Heat's offense completely stalled, and Wade, whose explosiveness had significantly decreased, struggled against Butler's lockdown defense, making it hard to break through on his own.
Wade's mid-range shots kept hitting the iron, and his shooting percentage was extremely low.
As for Howard, while he was undeniably one of the best defenders and rebounders in the league, his offense without James' passes was essentially laughable.
In the post-up, Howard tried to back down Gasol Jr., but Gasol's lower body was solid, and Howard's lack of strength in his legs made it impossible for him to do much.
After several unsuccessful attempts, Howard had to revert to his usual offensive game—relying on offensive rebounds—but how could this compare to the Bulls' relentless perimeter shooting?
From the moment James left the court to his return, the two teams scored over 15 points in under two minutes.
Fans familiar with the teams could already predict the outcome. The Bulls had established a double-digit lead in the third quarter, and with Wang Chong's steady performance, there was no chance of a Heat comeback.
Indeed, the game continued, and when James returned, the Heat's offensive rhythm stabilized. But by then, they were already at a huge disadvantage, and the fourth quarter was a battle to the death.
Every time the Heat tried to mount a counterattack, Wang Chong would respond immediately with a basket, shutting down their momentum.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Bulls won 110-97, defeating the Heat by 13 points at home and taking a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The trend and outcome of the game were exactly what most people expected. The Bulls had the home advantage, and winning the game wasn't a surprise. They went on to win Game 2 two days later with a score of 98-91, taking a 2-0 lead.
The Heat's biggest problem when facing the Bulls was always how to limit Wang Chong's scoring.
In the two games the Bulls won, Wang Chong had 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists in one game, and 35 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in another. Both were the highest scores for either team, and his shooting percentage remained impressively high, nearly 60%.
On May 24, in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat, returning to their home court, managed to cut the Bulls' lead. Behind James' 34 points, 6 rebounds, and 11 assists, and Howard's 24 points and 21 rebounds, the Heat won 117-112, cutting the series deficit to 2-1.
However, the Heat's victory was more due to the Bulls' issues. Curry shot 6 of 15, and Green went 1 of 5. Only Wang Chong remained efficient on the perimeter, making the game a showdown between the Heat's Big Three and Wang Chong.
In the end, Wang Chong had 42 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists, scoring 15 of 27 from the field and 3 of 8 from three, showing his full offensive power.
After this win, Heat fans were full of excitement, chanting for the series to be tied and hoping to equalize and gain revenge.
But hopes were fleeting.
In Game 4, the Bulls won 115-99, taking a 3-1 lead. The Heat fans, who were previously fired up, were suddenly quiet, like being doused with cold water.
In this game, the Bulls' three-point shooting was fully unleashed. They made 17 three-pointers, scoring 51 points from beyond the arc. Even though the referees' bias was clear, with the Bulls getting nearly 20 fewer free throws than the Heat, they still won easily.
With the Heat now down 1-3, there was no chance of a comeback, and many Heat players, including James, were already despairing.
How many years had passed?
It had been four years since the Heat's Big Three formed in the summer of 2010, and in those four years, they had consistently fallen short against the Bulls.
For four consecutive years! No matter how confident James was, a thought lingered in his mind.
"Am I really inferior to him? If this continues, I might never win a championship and end up like Karl Malone or Charles Barkley…"
How could this be acceptable for James? He was supposed to be the pride of the sky, the king of all eyes!
On May 28, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, with the Bulls already having a series point and poised to win the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat played the entire game like zombies. Even James, who had been playing well in the previous games, seemed off, scoring only 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
In stark contrast, the Bulls played with extreme determination.
Even from a mental perspective, there was a huge gap between the two teams, and the result of the game was never in doubt.
The Bulls won 97-88, eliminating the Heat with a 4-1 series victory and defeating the Heat's Big Three for the fourth consecutive year to reach the NBA Finals.
In the five games of the Eastern Conference Finals, Wang Chong's individual performance reached new heights. Throughout the regular season and even the first two rounds of the playoffs, Wang Chong had clearly not exerted all his strength. His average points per game had remained around 28, which was enough for the Bulls to win most games.
After all, while the Heat's overall strength was weaker than the Bulls', their Big Three was still formidable.
Thus, in this series, Wang Chong gave it his all, not only defending James but also showing his full offensive power.
In five games, Wang Chong averaged 35.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, with a 57% field goal percentage and 41% from three.
On the defensive end, James, facing Wang Chong, averaged 27.8 points, 7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game with a 48% shooting percentage. While not a terrible performance, it was clear that James struggled when defended by Wang Chong, especially when compared to his earlier rounds.
It seemed James was beginning to fear that he would never overcome Wang Chong, especially with four straight years of failure. Would the Heat's management still have the patience to wait for a breakthrough? Or would James have the patience to continue?
James and Wade had player options this summer and could leave at any time, but even if James opted out of his contract, where could he go? In the entire NBA, which team could give James a chance to challenge Wang Chong?
The Bulls advanced to the Finals after defeating the Heat, but the attention around it was not as high as expected. Before the Eastern Conference Finals began, the win-loss ratio between the Bulls and the Heat was close to 7:3, and the Bulls' win was considered routine, so there wasn't much to discuss.
On the Western side, there were no surprises either.
The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 4-2 to reach the Finals for the second consecutive year, set to face the Bulls again.
The Spurs were noticeably stronger this season, even better than the last, and were completely dominant in the West, except for a small hiccup against the Dallas Mavericks in the second round. They were set to have a tough battle against the Bulls in the Finals.
However, even as the Spurs entered the Finals against the Bulls, they were not considered the favorites. Most people gave the Bulls a 7:3 advantage, meaning that in the eyes of most, the Spurs had only a 30% chance of winning the championship.
End of this chapter
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