A few words come to mind after watching yesterday’s game between the Bulls and the Heat: unacceptable…inexcusable…disheartening…disgusting…sickening.  The Bulls weren’t going to come back and win the Eastern Conference Finals.  Game 6 was going back to Miami, where the Heat have yet to drop one playoff game this year.  But at least the series was going to be extended to give the Bulls a chance.  But once again, when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade started flexing their muscles, Derrick Rose and the Bulls couldn’t get out of their own way.

But this one hurts on a multitude of levels.  First, there’s the simple fact that the Bulls’ season and deep playoff run are over.  Second, the loss was to the hated Miami Heat.  Miami is every NBA fan’s enemy right now, because of James’s “Decision” and the perception that he took the easy way out by teaming with Wade and Chris Bosh to form a super-team.  This is a perception I happen to agree with, so watching the Heat celebrate on the Bulls' home floor was a very tough pill to swallow and a horrible scene to watch.  Third, though, and most important, was that the loss resulted in an epic collapse in the final three minutes.  The Bulls had this game won, and simply gave it away.

Up 12 with just under four minutes to go, the Bulls appeared to have this one in the bag.  But just like games 2-4, the Heat came back with a furious rally, playing composed and smart, while the Bulls leaned on Rose too much. Wade and LeBron hit clutch three-pointers, and as all series long, the Bulls had no consistent answer.  They struggled to move the ball and come up with quality shots.  When they did get a good shot, the Bulls missed.  With about 20 seconds left in the game, the Bulls trailed by two, and the MVP went to the free throw line.  He missed his second foul shot, and the Heat had finished off their improbable, but impressive comeback. 

In many ways, Game 5 played out to the rest of the series; it just happened that the Bulls had a big cushion at the time the Heat went on their run.  The Heat won the previous three by about 10 points because they were either up by a few points or tied when they went on their run.  In Game 5, however, they went on their normal run and covered their deficit and pulled the game out by 3.  In each instance, the Bulls showed a severe lack of scoring when Rose is unable to create anything and ended up leaning way too heavily on Rose, who ended up putting up bad jumpers or threes or turning the ball over. 

But still, the fact of the collapse lingers and is still inexcusable.  Up double digits under 5 minutes and lose?  That simply can’t happen.  Not in Eastern Conference Finals.  But, the Bulls must live with it.  Most collapses of this kind – just like Dallas and Oklahoma City in Game 5 in the West – are due to both teams, and the Bulls definitely helped Miami in the closing moments.  The game and series have certainly left a bad taste in Chicago’s mouth, one that should lead to some roster moves to get Rose some help and added motivation to avenge this defeat. 

Check back later for my take on the Bulls’ season overall.