Bulls meet Heat while another Chicago team awaits Final Four
MIAMI -- The days of Michael Jordan starring for the Chicago Bulls are long gone. This once-mighty franchise is no longer the most popular team in the NBA.
In fact, they are not even the most popular basketball team in their own city, at least not right now.
That would be 11th-seeded Loyola-Chicago, this year's darlings of the NCAA Tournament who have made a totally unexpected run from mid-major school to Final Four participant this coming weekend, joining the likes of Kansas, Villanova and Michigan.
"Loyola is making the city proud," Bulls wing Denzel Valentine told The Chicago Sun-Times. "They are doing their thing. I'm happy for them."
But while Loyola gets ready to play third-seeded Michigan on Saturday, the struggling Bulls (24-50) are to set to visit the Miami Heat (40-35) on Thursday night at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Miami, which is nearly a lock to make the playoffs with only seven games left in the regular season, is coming off a dramatic 98-79 home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night. The Heat snapped the Cavaliers' five-game win streak and held them to a season low in points.
The Cavaliers had averaged 122 points in their past four games, but ran into an inspired Heat defense that included veteran shooting guard Dwyane Wade, who blocked a season-high four shots.
Much of the buzz after the game had to do with the two occasions in which Wade blocked buddy LeBron James from behind.
"There's a reason why Wade is the No. 1 shot-blocking shooting guard of all time," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "You have to have incredible instincts and creativity. ... He knows how to be at the right place at the right time."
Wade, who evened his personal series with James at 15-15, said Miami can win some games in a "shootout" but added that defense is the team's real forte.
"Our strength is defense, getting stops, getting rebounds and getting out in the open floor," said Wade, who added that he looks at the stat sheet less now that he is a reserve playing about 20 minutes per game.
On Thursday, the Heat will face a Bulls team that has lost six straight games. The Bulls are 9-28 on the road this season.
Then again, the Heat have lost several games against last-place teams this season, including their most recent matchup against the Bulls, falling 119-111 on Jan. 15.
Miami was without its top two centers Tuesday against Cleveland, but it is possible one or both could return to face Chicago. Starting center Hassan Whiteside has a hip injury, and backup Bam Adebayo has a sprained ankle.
The Bulls have been without two of their top four scorers -- shooting guard Zach LaVine (16.7) and point guard Kris Dunn (13.4) -- because of knee and toe injuries, respectively.
But even if the rest of Thursday's game becomes yet another loss in a season most Bulls fans surely want to see end as soon as possible, there's always Loyola. In fact, Valentine's brother, Drew, is an assistant coach on the Loyola staff.
"I feel like it's me playing in the Final Four," said Denzel Valentine, who led Michigan State to this same stage of the NCAA Tournament in 2015. "It's nuts. That (Final Four) was my best basketball experience, along with being drafted.
"The whole week of festivities, you feel like you are a movie star. It's an unreal feeling."
