MIAMI — LeBron James took only 13 shots. Dwyane Wade scored 17 points on 35 percent shooting. Carlos Boozer notched a 26-point, 17-rebound double-double.
And still the Miami Heat overwhelmed the Chicago Bulls to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday night.
In its 96-85 win, Miami didn't just bully the Bulls with a stifling defense that left Derrick Rose discombobulated and off-balance.
The Heat showed, clearly and decisively, that they are championship ready. The Bulls must either respond in kind or, like Boston and Philadelphia before them, get ready to go home.
"It's definitely frustrating," said Rose, looking like someone still mulling over a riddle. "But our will wasn't there tonight. We just got to find a way to win the next game."
That's going to be very difficult if Rose, who scored a quiet 20 points, can't step up, and if the Heat continue to throw out a slew of weapons not named LeBron or Wade.
Chris Bosh unveiled a 34-point night of utter excellence on 13-of-18 shooting. Udonis Haslem provided another spark that exceeded his eight-point stat line. Joel Anthony blocked five shots.
For a team that grew accustomed to watching Wade and LeBron save the day (or not), those contributions were almost as stunning as what the Heat didn't do to get the victory.
The Heat didn't have a particularly high-scoring night from Wade and LeBron; they combined for 39 points.
They also didn't rebound particularly well — they were out-rebounded 41-32, including 13-5 on the offensive glass.
And they didn't set the world on fire with their 3-point shooting, hitting only 3 of 9 from behind the line.
What the Heat did well, they drew from willpower, toughness and teamwork. This Heat team was the sum of its parts rather than the beneficiary of two stars carrying everyone else.
"There is absolutely nothing easy in this series, and still it's all about enduring, sustaining and finding a way to grind it out," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It is a battle, it is a scrap, it is a fight. Every single possession."
And the Heat won it by out-Bulling the Bulls. They were tougher and grittier and showed more heart than Chicago. Miami flashed, for a night, signs that they have a deeper team than does Chicago. The Heat were in sync while the Bulls again seemed adrift.
"Defensively what we've done all year has worked, "LeBron said. "We have a system. We stick to our guns. We know defensively when we're active and guys are on the string, and if one gets beat, another guy is there to help him.
"We're very good."
So good, the Heat bottled up Rose with double-teams and constant pressure to the point that the reigning MVP had another lackluster night and dud of a finish: 8-of-19 shooting and only two shots taken in the fourth quarter.
The Bulls defense, on the other hand, allowed Miami to shoot 50.7 percent from the field.
Rose handicapped by the Heat and Miami getting a total team effort led by its third option? It's a recipe for this thing to end in five games.
"You're going to miss shots," Rose said. "But our defense, that was the key of the game, where we let them shoot 50 percent in the payoffs. And we call ourselves a defensive team."
His disgust was genuine and well-deserved.
The Heat have imposed their will on the Bulls to the point that they have taken Chicago's strengths and made them their own. There's still time for the Bulls, who like Miami are good enough to win this series, to turn things around. But not much time.
The Bulls are staggering just as the Heat are finding their groove — and Game 4 is Tuesday.
So changed was the dynamic Sunday, LeBron was able to morph offensively in order to become a facilitator first and a scorer second. He dished out 10 assists and pulled down six rebounds. His 22 points were almost an afterthought.
"I changed my game plan tonight," LeBron said. "Be more of a facilitator and if I had to get it going offensively, I could."
This is the heart of why this Heat team is poised to, in only one season, turn LeBron's "Decision" from a source of ridicule to, simply, the right one.
At the most important time, the Heat have evolved into more than a two-man unit. Bosh has led the team in scoring in two of these three Eastern Conference finals games. Haslem has gone from next season's hope to this season's burst of difference making.
And even though Mike Miller can't right his own ship, Anthony has proven himself indispensable, Mario Chalmers has been made himself worthy of enough trust to pay the entire fourth quarter of a close playoff game, and even Mike Bibby has grown into a contributor.
And that's with Wade having an off night and LeBron putting on as quiet a near-triple-double as you can hear.
"Obviously you have to commit to James and Wade, but that doesn't absolve you from covering the others," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "You have to have the ability to do both."
Yes, you do. But right now, that's looking beyond the Bulls' ability.
Bosh said it best: "I don't think there's ever a comfortable moment in these playoffs."
No, there's not. But in a blood-and-guts series that's got Miami one step closer to turning arrogance, hatred and heat into a championship, those uncomfortable moments are playing right into the Heat's hands.
This series isn't over. But if Rose continues to disappear, and Heat players no one counted on keep stepping up, it soon will be.
You can follow Bill Reiter on Twitter.
And still the Miami Heat overwhelmed the Chicago Bulls to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday night.
In its 96-85 win, Miami didn't just bully the Bulls with a stifling defense that left Derrick Rose discombobulated and off-balance.
The Heat showed, clearly and decisively, that they are championship ready. The Bulls must either respond in kind or, like Boston and Philadelphia before them, get ready to go home.
"It's definitely frustrating," said Rose, looking like someone still mulling over a riddle. "But our will wasn't there tonight. We just got to find a way to win the next game."
That's going to be very difficult if Rose, who scored a quiet 20 points, can't step up, and if the Heat continue to throw out a slew of weapons not named LeBron or Wade.
Chris Bosh unveiled a 34-point night of utter excellence on 13-of-18 shooting. Udonis Haslem provided another spark that exceeded his eight-point stat line. Joel Anthony blocked five shots.
For a team that grew accustomed to watching Wade and LeBron save the day (or not), those contributions were almost as stunning as what the Heat didn't do to get the victory.
The Heat didn't have a particularly high-scoring night from Wade and LeBron; they combined for 39 points.
They also didn't rebound particularly well — they were out-rebounded 41-32, including 13-5 on the offensive glass.
And they didn't set the world on fire with their 3-point shooting, hitting only 3 of 9 from behind the line.
What the Heat did well, they drew from willpower, toughness and teamwork. This Heat team was the sum of its parts rather than the beneficiary of two stars carrying everyone else.
"There is absolutely nothing easy in this series, and still it's all about enduring, sustaining and finding a way to grind it out," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It is a battle, it is a scrap, it is a fight. Every single possession."
And the Heat won it by out-Bulling the Bulls. They were tougher and grittier and showed more heart than Chicago. Miami flashed, for a night, signs that they have a deeper team than does Chicago. The Heat were in sync while the Bulls again seemed adrift.
"Defensively what we've done all year has worked, "LeBron said. "We have a system. We stick to our guns. We know defensively when we're active and guys are on the string, and if one gets beat, another guy is there to help him.
"We're very good."
So good, the Heat bottled up Rose with double-teams and constant pressure to the point that the reigning MVP had another lackluster night and dud of a finish: 8-of-19 shooting and only two shots taken in the fourth quarter.
The Bulls defense, on the other hand, allowed Miami to shoot 50.7 percent from the field.
Rose handicapped by the Heat and Miami getting a total team effort led by its third option? It's a recipe for this thing to end in five games.
"You're going to miss shots," Rose said. "But our defense, that was the key of the game, where we let them shoot 50 percent in the payoffs. And we call ourselves a defensive team."
His disgust was genuine and well-deserved.
The Heat have imposed their will on the Bulls to the point that they have taken Chicago's strengths and made them their own. There's still time for the Bulls, who like Miami are good enough to win this series, to turn things around. But not much time.
The Bulls are staggering just as the Heat are finding their groove — and Game 4 is Tuesday.
So changed was the dynamic Sunday, LeBron was able to morph offensively in order to become a facilitator first and a scorer second. He dished out 10 assists and pulled down six rebounds. His 22 points were almost an afterthought.
"I changed my game plan tonight," LeBron said. "Be more of a facilitator and if I had to get it going offensively, I could."
This is the heart of why this Heat team is poised to, in only one season, turn LeBron's "Decision" from a source of ridicule to, simply, the right one.
At the most important time, the Heat have evolved into more than a two-man unit. Bosh has led the team in scoring in two of these three Eastern Conference finals games. Haslem has gone from next season's hope to this season's burst of difference making.
And even though Mike Miller can't right his own ship, Anthony has proven himself indispensable, Mario Chalmers has been made himself worthy of enough trust to pay the entire fourth quarter of a close playoff game, and even Mike Bibby has grown into a contributor.
And that's with Wade having an off night and LeBron putting on as quiet a near-triple-double as you can hear.
"Obviously you have to commit to James and Wade, but that doesn't absolve you from covering the others," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "You have to have the ability to do both."
Yes, you do. But right now, that's looking beyond the Bulls' ability.
Bosh said it best: "I don't think there's ever a comfortable moment in these playoffs."
No, there's not. But in a blood-and-guts series that's got Miami one step closer to turning arrogance, hatred and heat into a championship, those uncomfortable moments are playing right into the Heat's hands.
This series isn't over. But if Rose continues to disappear, and Heat players no one counted on keep stepping up, it soon will be.
You can follow Bill Reiter on Twitter.
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