Ding Dong the Heat are dead… or at least their 27-game winning streak is. But because of it the Chicago Bulls are the toast of the NBA. So in their honor, here is an all-Chicago Three Stars of the Night.
Third Star: Kirk Hinrich (7 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds)
He isn’t here because of his stats, he’s here because he embodied the toughness and tenacity the Bulls brought to this game. He stood in front of a hard-charging LeBron James, wrapped him up and wasn’t afraid of the hard foul. He ripped the ball out of Chris Bosh’s hands in a key moment. He helped keep the Bulls organized and he made smart passes and plays. And most of all, he never backed down. Just like the Bulls.
Second Star: Carlos Boozer (21 points, 17 rebounds)
Carlos Boozer simply outplayed Chris Bosh all night long and it was one of the keys to the Bulls win. He was a key part of the Bulls ability to take a lead in the first half, but he was there late in the game, too, taking the brunt of a LeBron James charge that led to a foul. And making a key tip-in. It’s the kind of game people wish they got every night from Boozer.
First Star: Luol Deng (28 points, 7 rebounds)
With Joakim Noah and of course Derrick Rose out, the Bulls biggest question against the Heat was simply “where will the offense come from?” Luol Deng, to start. He had nine first quarter points to help the Bulls rush out to a lead. He was making plans and throwing alley-oops to Jimmy Butler for poster dunks, all the while dropping threes (he made four in the game). Then when it mattered most he had 12 points in the fourth quarter, hitting big shots down the stretch to secure the Bulls win.
