Bulls Steal Game One: Bulls 93 Heat 86

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Jueseppi B.

 

By Jueseppi B.

 

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Chicago Bulls Vs Miami Heat | May 6, 2013 | Game 1 | Full Game Highlights | NBA East Semifinals 2013

 

Published on May 6, 2013

FINAL: Chicago Bulls 93-86 Miami Heat

Nate Robinson scores game-high 27 points, 9 assists & 3 rebounds while Jimmy Butler adds 21 points & 14 rebounds as the Bulls defeat the Heat,93-86 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

 

 

 

 

From NBA.com:

 

MIAMI (AP) Nate Robinson scored 27 points, Jimmy Butler added 21 points and 14 rebounds while playing every second for the third straight game, and the Chicago Bulls stunned the Miami Heat 93-86 on Monday night to take Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Trailing 86-83 with 2 minutes left, the Bulls scored the final 10 points of the game to beat the Heat once again.

Joakim Noah added 13 points, Taj Gibson had 12 and Marco Belinelli added 10 for Chicago, which snapped a 27-game Miami winning streak during the regular season, and handed the Heat their first loss in their last 13 games in this one.


LeBron James scored 24 points for Miami, which got 14 from Dwyane Wade.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Miami.

The Bulls were without Derrick Rose, as they’ve been all season. Kirk Hinrich was out again with a calf injury. Luol Deng isn’t even expected to rejoin the team until Tuesday, after dealing with an illness apparently so severe that a spinal tap – and other tests since – were needed to rule out things like meningitis.

And the group that was left gave the reigning NBA champions more than they could handle.

A pair of three-point plays by James – one of them coming when he just broke through a tackle attempt by Butler and muscled the ball to the rim anyway – gave Miami a 76-69 lead midway through the fourth quarter, the biggest deficit Chicago faced all night.

The Bulls, predictably, were undeterred. Coming off a Game 7 road win in Brooklyn two nights earlier just to get into a series with Miami, the Bulls just kept grinding. When Ray Allen made a 3-pointer to give Miami an 80-78 lead, Butler came back with one of his own to put the Bulls back on top. When the Heat went up by three after James made a free throw with 2:22 left, Belinelli connected for 3 – on a second-effort possession – to knot the game.

Then when Robinson connected on a 20-footer with 1:18 left, the Bulls had the lead and plenty of swagger.

 


With good reason, too.

Wade missed a 3-pointer on the next possession, Robinson drove the lane and scored with 45.5 seconds left, and suddenly the Bulls were up 90-86 – rendered virtually the entire building silent.

James drove against Butler and tried a 12-footer that missed everything, the Bulls got the rebound, Robinson made a free throw to stretch the lead to five and the stunner was complete.

 


Game 1 to the Bulls. And with it, home-court advantage as well.

It was a night that started with a celebration and ended with Miami’s arena in silence.

James was honored before the game, with a brief on-court ceremony to commemorate his fourth NBA MVP award.


“Everybody here knows about the statistics,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said. “All I would like to add in presenting this trophy is that LeBron James exemplifies the values of our game. Teamwork, passion, a continued extraordinary desire to improve, and a state of excellence that is unmatched. So thank you LeBron James, for what you bring to our league.”

James picked up the trophy – he was actually presented with it Sunday – and made a slow circle with it aloft, as cheers rained down from the sold-out stands.

“It’s an unbelievable achievement, but I wouldn’t be able to do it without these 14 guys here, our coaching staff and most of all you guys,” James said, speaking to the crowd. “This trophy is for you. So thank you so much, and let’s get ready to go.”


And with that, the game started.

Problem was, no one was ready to go.

The Heat missed their first seven shots – maybe rust from an eight-day layoff really was a factor – and Chicago led 21-15 after an opening quarter where Nazr Mohammed, he of the 2.6-point-per-game scoring average in this regular season, had as many points (two) as any Miami starter did.


A 10-0 Heat run in the second gave Miami a 25-23 lead, and the teams were tied at 37 at halftime.

The story at that point was James, who wore twice as many pairs of sneakers in the first half (two) as he had field goals (one). He had two points at the break, the lowest of his 120-game postseason career, on just 1 for 6 shooting. James started the game in sneakers that were MVP editions, then returned to his more customary style late in the first half.


He opened the second half with a 3-pointer, so the shoes were a quick fix.

But the Bulls were in for the long haul, and after James made the consecutive three-point plays to open a seven-point lead, Chicago answered with seven straight points, knotting the game at 76-all when Belinelli made a 3-pointer with just under 5 minutes left.

Momentum belonged to Chicago, and soon, so did the game.


NOTES: Robinson dove for a loose ball and collided with James with 4:19 left in the half, getting a cut upper lip for his efforts. He went to the locker room for treatment but started the second half. … James has played 885 regular-season and playoff games. He’s scored less than two points in a first half only twice, being shut out by Dallas on Oct. 31, 2007 and Dec. 20, 2010. He scored exactly two points on five other occasions before Monday. … Wade dove into the second row of seats to save an errant ball, and grimaced after appearing to hit his sore right knee.

 

Thank you NBA.com

 

 

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MJ Turns 50

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Jueseppi B.

 

By Jueseppi B.

 

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Michael Jordan is the single greatest basketball athlete to lace up a pair of Jordans.

 

I have been blessed in my lifetime to watch 3 of the greatest athletes play in three major sports, all three played in Chicago, my hometown in the States.

 

Walter Payton for the Chicago Bears in football.

 

Ernie Banks for the Chicago Cubs in baseball.

 

Michael Jordan for the Chicago Bulls in basketball.

 

 

Following are a few excerpts from an ESPN piece on MJ turning 50:

 

 

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Five weeks before his 50th birthday, Michael Jordan sits behind his desk, overlooking a parking garage in downtown Charlotte. The cell phone in front of him buzzes with potential trades and league proposals about placing ads on jerseys. A rival wants his best players and wants to give him nothing in return. Jordan bristles. He holds a Cuban cigar in his hand. Smoking is allowed.

 

“Well, s—, being as I own the building,” he says, laughing.

 

Back in the office after his vacation on a 154-foot rented yacht named Mister Terrible, he feels that relaxation slipping away. He feels pulled inward, toward his own most valuable and destructive traits. Slights roll through his mind, eating at him: worst record ever, can’t build a team, absentee landlord. Jordan reads the things written about him, the fuel arriving in a packet of clips his staff prepares. He knows what people say. He needs to know, a needle for a hungry vein. There’s a palpable simmering whenever you’re around Jordan, as if Air Jordan is still in there, churning, trying to escape. It must be strange to be locked in combat with the ghost of your former self.

 

Smoke curls off the cigar. He wears slacks and a plain white dress shirt, monogrammed on the sleeve in white, understated. An ID badge hangs from one of those zip line cords on his belt, with his name on the bottom: Michael Jordan, just in case anyone didn’t recognize the owner of a struggling franchise who in another life was the touchstone for a generation. There’s a shudder in every child of the ’80s and ’90s who does the math and realizes that Michael Jordan is turning 50. Where did the years go? Jordan has trouble believing it, difficulty admitting it to himself. But he’s in the mood for admissions today, and there’s a look on his face, a half-smile, as he considers how far to go.

 

“I … I always thought I would die young,” he says, leaning up to rap his knuckles on the rich, dark wood of his desk.

 

He has kept this fact a secret from most people. A fatalist obsession didn’t go with his public image and, well, it’s sort of strange. His mother would get angry with him when he’d talk to her about it. He just could never imagine being old. He seemed too powerful, too young, and death was more likely than a slow decline. The universe might take him, but it would not permit him to suffer the graceless loss and failure of aging. A tragic flaw could undo him but never anything as common as bad knees or failing eyesight.

 

Later that night, standing in his kitchen, he squints across his loft at the television. His friend Quinn Buckner catches him.

 

“You gonna need to get some glasses,” Buckner says.

 

“I can see,” Jordan says.

 

“Don’t be bulls—-ing me,” Buckner says. “I can see you struggling.”

 

“I can see,” Jordan insists.

 

 

The entire article can be found at ESPN.

 

 

 

ESPN Sports Center – Michael Jordan 50: It’s Gotta Be The Shoes

 

Published on Feb 11, 2013

ESPN Special celebrates Michael Jordan turning 50. Part 1 Its gotta be the shoes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ESPN First Take | Michael Jordan vs LeBron James

 

Published on Feb 12, 2013

Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless discuss who would win in a 1 vs 1 between Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magic Johnson Says Michael Jordan Is the Greatest to Ever Play | NBA Countdown

 

Published on Feb 11, 2013

The ‘NBA Countdown’ crew – Magic Johnson, Jalen Rose, Bill Simmons, and Michael Wilbon – reflect on Michael Jordan’s legacy after Jordan’s 50th birthday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Per tutte le signore ……Buon San Valentino Giorno

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Jueseppi B.

By Jueseppi B.

 

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Translation: For all the ladies…..Happy Saint Valentines Day.

 

 

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Barack’s House Welcomes NBA Champs The Miami Heat: Next Year The Bulls!!

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Jueseppi B.

By Jueseppi B.

 

US President Barack Obama wears a Chicag

 

 

 

 

Tweets about the Miami Heat visit to the White House……

 

 

RT @MiamiHEAT And we are@whitehouse bound! Stay tuned!#HEATatWhiteHouse // Watch live at 1:40 ET: 
http://t.co/u95tzH8r

 

 

Today at 1:40 ET: President Obama welcomes @KingJames,@DwyaneWade & the NBA Champion @MiamiHEAT to the WH. Watch live:
http://t.co/u95tzH8r

 

 

 

President Obama Welcomes the 2012 NBA Champion Miami Heat

 

Published on Jan 28, 2013

President Obama congratulates the Miami Heat on the team’s 2012 NBA championship and recognizes the Heat’s ongoing support to the men and women who serve in our military and their families. January 28, 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

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LeBron at the White House: “Mom, I made it.”

 

 

 

 

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January 28, 2013

Remarks by the President in Welcoming the Miami Heat

 

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
January 28, 2013

Remarks by the President in Welcoming the Miami Heat

East Room

 

1:44 P.M. EST

 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Everybody please have a seat.  Well, today I am honored to welcome a little up-and-coming basketball team — (laughter) — to the White House called the world champion Miami Heat.  (Applause.)

 

 

Now, for many of teams that come here, this is a lot of cameras in one place.  It’s a little overwhelming.  (Laughter.)  But for the Heat, this is what practice looks like.  (Laughter.)  This is normal.  I know this is the first trip for some of these players, but a few of them were here a couple of years ago for a pickup game on my birthday.

 

 

Now, I’m not trying to take all the credit, Coach, but I think that it’s clear that going up against me prepared them to take on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.  (Laughter.)  It sharpened their skills.  It gave them the competitive edge that they needed.  And I think part of the reason they came back today is they want another shot at the old guy.  (Laughter.)

 

 

But first, I have to congratulate the Heat on their well-earned title.  This team traveled a long road to get to where they are.  In 2011, the Heat got all the way to the finals only to come up short.  But when you fall, the real test is whether you can ignore the naysayers, pick yourself up and come back stronger.  And that’s true in basketball, but it’s also true in life.  That’s exactly what these guys did.

 

 

Instead of getting down, they got better.  Dwayne Wade worked on his core.  LeBron learned some post moves from Hakeem.  Shane Battier came on board.  They became a more complete team.  They got to know each other better and trust each other more.  And they became more fun to watch.

 

 

In Game Four against the Thunder last year, we saw LeBron carried off the floor with cramps, only to come back a few minutes later and hit a dagger of a three-pointer to put the Heat ahead.  During Game Six, we saw him pull off one of the greatest performances in basketball playoff history, dropping 45 points — and he had a scary look in his eye.  (Laughter.)

 

 

We saw Dwayne Wade, the heart and soul of this team,  continue to do whatever it takes to win, including leading the team in blocks.  And at the post-game press conferences, he dressed well enough to land himself in GQ magazine.  (Laughter.)  Show them your kicks here, Dwayne.  (Laughter.)  If any of you can pull this off — (laughter) — other than Dwayne Wade, let me know.  We saw Chris Bosh get injured, but get healthy right at the perfect time and do outstanding work throughout the rest of the playoffs.

 

 

And it wasn’t just the Big Three.  Mike Miller could barely walk.  Mike, you look better now.  (Laughter.)  You looked broke down last year — (laughter) — but still hit seven three-pointers in the final game.  I don’t know how he did it because he could not walk.  He looked like an old man.  Mario Chalmers earned himself a nickname from Dwayne Wade that I’m not allowed to repeat.  (Laughter.)  But he did a great job.

 

 

Shane Battier, as always, played impeccable defense, hit big threes.  Juwan Howard — “Grandpa” — became the first member of the Fab Five to win a ring.  And Coach continually set the tone and kept these guys motivated the entire way.

 

 

So that team mentality — with everybody doing their part — is what finally put the Heat over the top.  And it’s especially impressive when you think about everything they’ve had to deal with over the last few years.  This team inspired a lot of passions on both sides.  And I’m just talking about their dance moves.  (Laughter.)  We saw that video, LeBron.  (Laughter.)

 

 

But even though I’m a little disappointed that the Bulls didn’t make it, I do want to congratulate the Heat for a well-earned championship.  LeBron said, “It’s about damn time.”  And I want to thank them for taking the time this afternoon to spend with wounded warriors at Walter Reed, because you guys are heroes to them but they are heroes to all of us.

 

 

And let me just say one last thing about these guys, and I mentioned this as we were coming in.  There’s a lot of focus on what happens on the court, but what’s also important is what happens off the court.  And I don’t know all these guys, but I do know LeBron and Dwayne and Chris.  And one of the things I’m proudest of is that they take their roles as fathers seriously.  And for all the young men out there who are looking up to them all the time, for them to see somebody who cares about their kids and is there for them day in and day out, that’s a good message to send.  It’s a positive message to send, and we’re very proud of them for that.  (Applause.)

 

 

So congratulations, again, to the Miami Heat.  And now we are going to take a picture that makes me look very short.  (Laughter.)  I’m accustomed to it, but first I’m going to ask Coach to say a few words.  (Applause.)

 

 

COACH SPOELSTRA:  Well, on behalf of Micky Arison, Pat Riley, the entire Miami Heat organization, and our families, we want to thank you for your hospitality today to be in the White House and also to be inspired by the great men and women of the Walter Reed Hospital.  We are honored and truly, truly humbled to be here.

 

 

We actually hope that this team serves as an inspiration to the nation of what a group can do when you come together and sacrifice your egos for a greater goal; to come together with a real hard-hat work ethic, and to be able to persevere through adversity and a whole heck of a lot of criticism — (laughter) — and still be able to accomplish the ultimate dream.

 

 

THE PRESIDENT:  Fantastic.  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)

 
MR. JAMES:  Am I supposed to say something?

 

 

THE PRESIDENT:  You can if you want.  It’s your world, man.  (Laughter.)

 

 

MR. JAMES:  On behalf of myself and my teammates, we just want to thank you — to piggyback what Spo said — for the hospitality, for allowing us to be, I mean, in the White House.  I mean, we’re in the White House.  (Laughter.)  And Coach said — and the Prez said this real casual.  So I mean, we’re kids from Chicago and Dallas, Texas and Michigan and Ohio and South Dakota — (laughter) — Miami.  And we’re in the White House right now.  This is like, hey, mama, I made it.  (Laughter and applause.)

 

 

MR. WADE:  All I’ve got to say is we’ve got a 10-day contract left?

 

 

THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.

 

 

MR. WADE:  Pick my man up.  (Laughter.)

 

 

THE PRESIDENT:  You guys could use a shooter.  (Laughter.)

 

 

MR. WADE:  My point guard.  (Laughter.)

 

 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)

 

 

END
1:52 P.M. EST

 

 

 

 

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Barack Obama, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade

President Barack Obama stands with LeBron James, fifth from left, Dwayne Wade, third left, and coach Erik Spoelstra, right, as he honors the NBA champions Miami Heat basketball team in the East Room at the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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Barack Obama, Ray Allen

President Barack Obama shakes hand with Miami Heat guard Ray Allen as he welcomes the NBA basketball champion Miami Heat to the East Room of the White House, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
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President Barack Obama stands with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, coach Erik Spoelstra, and others, as he honors the NBA champions Miami Heat basketball team in the East Room at the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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Dwyane Wade, center, shakes hands with President Barack Obama as he honors the NBA champions Miami Heat basketball team in the East Room at the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. LeBron James is seen rear left. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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President Barack Obama is flanked by Miami Heat forward LeBron James, left, and coach Erik Spoelstra, right, as he welcomes the NBA basketball champion Miami Heat, to the East Room of the White House, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
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President Barack Obama accepts a signed basketball from Miami Heat forward LeBron James as he welcomes the the NBA basketball champion Miami Heat, to the East Room of the White House, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
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LeBron James speaks after presenting President Barack Obama with a basketball signed by the NBA champions Miami Heat basketball team in the East Room at the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

 

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Gabrielle Union, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Frederica Wilson

 

 

 

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Team USA Men Beat Spain For Basketball Gold…..Just Barely.

Posted on August 12, 2012 by Jueseppi B.

 

By Jueseppi B.

 

 

 

 

 

By BRIAN MAHONEY

 

LONDON — This was no Dream Team. This was reality.

 

The gold medal was in doubt for the U.S. men’s basketball team.

 

The Americans led Spain by only one point after three quarters, a back-and-forth, impossible-to-turn-away-from game that almost anyone would hope for in an Olympic final.

 

Especially, it turns out, the U.S. players.

 

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We didn’t want it easy,” LeBron James said. “A lot of teams have won gold easy. We didn’t want it that way. We’re a competitive team, and we love when it gets tight. That’s when our will and determination kind of shows. It was the same way in ‘08.”

 

Same result, too.

 

The Americans defended their title Sunday by fighting off another huge challenge from Spain, pulling away in the final minutes for a 107-100 victory and their second straight Olympic championship.

 

 

 

 

 

And just like 2008, the star-studded Americans had to work for this one.

 

The London 2012 daily magazine proclaimed them “the new Dream Team” in an article, but the real Dream Team never had a game like this 20 years ago in Barcelona. And if that means this group isn’t worthy of the comparisons to Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Co., the players had their own response.

 

“Everybody wants to make that comparison, but at the end of the day we’re both wearing these,” forward Kevin Love said, pulling on his gold medal. “That’s pretty good.”

 

James capped one of basketball’s most brilliant individual years with a monster dunk and a huge 3-pointer in the final 2:50 that finally ended a Spanish threat few expected after the Americans had been so dominant for so long in London.

 

Yet four years after beating Spain 118-107 in a classic in Beijing, the U.S. found itself in another tight one, unable to ever really slow the Spanish down until the closing minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

Kevin Durant scored 30 points and James had 19 on a day he joined Jordan as the only players to win the NBA title, regular-season MVP, NBA Finals MVP and Olympic gold in the same year.

 

“It was a good year. It was a great year for me as an individual,” James said. “But this right here, it means more than myself, it means more than my name on my back. It means everything to the name on the front. I’m happy that I was able to contribute to this great team. It’s one of the best teams ever.”

 

Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who has said he’s retiring as national team coach after restoring the Americans to their place atop world basketball, emptied his bench in the final minute

 

James stood with both arms in the air, then held Durant in a long hug before they came off the court.

 

 

 

In elite company

 

The Americans, who insisted they were better than their 2008 version and even good enough to take a game from the 1992 Dream Team, may not have been at that level.

 

Still, they were better again than Spain — though not by much.

 

When the final horn sounded, Krzyzewski locked James in a tight embrace as Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The USA” rocked the arena.

 

“To do it twice is a special moment,” Carmelo Anthony said. “As the U.S. men’s team, we go through a lot. For us to persevere the way we did is just a special moment for myself, and for the guys who are on this team.”

 

For Kobe Bryant, it was his last Olympic moment.

 

“This is it for me,” said Bryant, who scored 17 points and now has a second gold medal to go with his five NBA championships. “The other guys are good to go.”

 

Pau Gasol scored 24 points and Juan Carlos Navarro had 21 for Spain, which was again just a few minutes from its first basketball gold but couldn’t finish the job against the Americans.

 

The U.S. came in averaging nearly 117 points and stomping on their competition with such ease that even the Olympics’ own daily preview had a hard time envisioning intrigue, writing that it would “likely take a great game from Spain and an off-day from the USA to cause an upset.”

 

Well, Spain brought the great game and trailed by only a point heading into the fourth quarter.

 

But the Spanish somehow lost sight of James, and the game’s best player drove uncontested and threw it down for a 99-91 lead with 2:48 left. After Marc Gasol dunked, James dribbled outside the circle with Marc Gasol giving him just a bit too much room, and James pulled up for the 3 that made it 102-93 with 1:59 to play.

 

 

 

 

 

Abundance of talent

 

It was the 14th gold medal for the Americans, who lost at least five players who might have been on the team when Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Derrick Rose had to pull out with injuries and Blake Griffin was hurt in training camp.

 

Along the way, they showed they could be vulnerable during their exhibition schedule, falling into early holes against Brazil and Spain, having to hold on against Argentina.

 

Any concerns once they arrived in London seemed to be wiped away as quickly as the way the Americans play.

 

They were tested only once, beating Lithuania 99-94, and the statistics revealed a tournament that was more varsity against junior varsity than best in the world against each other. The Americans came in leading the tournament in eight statistical categories, with laughably lopsided advantages in points off turnovers (198-77) and fast-break points (175-55).

 

James isn’t sure if he will return after he, Bryant, Anthony, Chris Paul and Deron Williams joined a list of 13 Americans who have won multiple gold medals.

 

Paul’s basket while drawing a foul near the end had Krzyzewski jumping for joy in his final minutes as U.S. national team coach. He said even before joining Hank Iba as the only coaches to lead the U.S. to consecutive golds that this would be his last game — though USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo promised to do his best sales job to bring the respected coach back.

 

 

 

 

He led a powerful performance in Britain, where there is such little history and awareness of basketball that some basic rules were explained during pregame announcements.

 

Now the British have seen the game at its highest level.

 

“We came through from the beginning of July and worked hard for one goal and I’m glad I accomplished it,” Durant said.

 

 

 

 

This has absolutely nothing to do with Team USA’s Gold medal in Basketball…..but who minds just one more look at Team USA’s Gold Medal Ladies??? Lord Have Mercy!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Filed under: 2012 Summer Olympics, Awards, Basketball, Causes, Celebrity, Celebs & Fame, Fun & Games, Good News, History, Joy & Happiness, Sports, World News | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

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