Well the Bulls made a liar out of me in Game 4, though they certainly played better and played with heart and passion all four and a half quarters.  Unfortunately, passion only gets you so far, and the Heat proved the more talented team and the one with more ammunition in what turned into a war of attrition.  Joakim Noah returned to his defensive norms, and brought energy throughout the game.  The Bulls simply were too gassed to compete at the conclusion of the contest, and some very questionable play-calling led to their defeat in overtime.

And so the teams return to the court tonight back in Chicago in what could be the clinching game for LeBron James and the Heat.  Game 4 was similar to all the rest thus far in that the game was close until the final minutes.  The Bulls just can’t find a way to pull away from Miami in the closing moments.  Instead, James has taken over and the Bulls don’t have a consistent answer.  Derrick Rose is trying to do way too much and does not seem to even want to try to trust his teammates at certain times.  For every voice that is calling out Carlos Boozer or Kyle Korver, there isn’t much of an opportunity coming their way when Rose is holding and mishandling the rock.  That needs to change for Chicago to win tonight.

If the Bulls win, it will be because Korver has a good game, and Boozer has another solid effort.  The Bulls made a huge mistake at the end of regulation in Game 4 by repeating the one-on-one matchup of Rose vs James.  James is five inches taller than Rose and it is rather obvious that Rose can’t get a good shot off over James.  That has nothing to do with Rose not playing as an MVP; it’s just simple height.  A different play should have been called and perhaps we would be looking at a different series and a different preview.

Instead, the Bulls’ backs are against the wall, a situation they have yet to find themselves in this season.  They have vowed to not give in, and they definitely won’t, but that does not necessarily mean it will be enough.  The Heat knows what is at stake, too, and I’m expecting another close contest that can go either way.  If the Bulls are to win, they must make adjustments and move the ball much better.  And if they get a lead, like they did twice in Game 4, they need to maintain it with smark basketball.  Too often the Bulls have gotten ahead only to let the Heat climb back into the game immediately.

I think the Bulls come out hungry and pull out a close one tonight.  They have the fan support and have too much pride and skill to lose to the Heat in four straight.  A win tonight does not guarantee a series comeback by any stretch, but Game 5 is certainly within reach.  The Heat may not take this game as seriously as they should, and if they do not, the Bulls must pounce.  I’m calling a bit of a higher scoring game than usual, and the Bulls prevail at home 99-91.