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Gordon, Bulls look to knock out Heat

Apr 29, 2007 - 12:28 PM Chicago at Miami 1:00 pm EDT Eastern Conference First Round Game Four

MIAMI (Ticker) -- Just like in their heyday the Chicago Bulls are on the verge of another first round sweep.

Ben Gordon and the Bulls aim to become the second Eastern Conference team to advance to the next playoff round when they face the Miami Heat on Sunday.

Chicago beat Miami 104-96 on Friday to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. Gordon scored 27 points and Luol Deng added 24 and 11 rebounds for the Bulls who have swept eight previous first round series, including seven during the Michael Jordan era.

It would also be Chicago's first win in a playoff round since the future hall of famer retired from the Bulls after the 1998 season.

On Friday, Kirk Hinrich had 22 points and six assists to help Chicago virtually finish Miami's season. In NBA history, 79 teams have held 3-0 leads and none have lost the series. The 79th were the Detroit Pistons, who eliminated the Orlando Magic in four games on Saturday.

If the Bulls win on Sunday, they would face the Pistons in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Deng (27.7 points) and Gordon (26.0) have been the main culprits of the Heat's demise. Deng is shooting 59 percent (34-of-58) from the field while Gordon is also averaging 6.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists in the series.

Dwyane Wade is averaging 23.3 points and Shaquille O"Neal 19.7 for Miami, which has been swept three times in its playoff history, but never in a seven-game series. Led by Jordan, the Bulls beat the Heat, 3-0 in a first round playoff series in 1992. It was the franchise's first-ever appearance in the NBA playoffs.

Miami has been done in by poor free throw shooting (66 percent) and lousy defense. The Heat missed 19-of-35 free throws on Friday while letting the Bulls shoot a playoff-best 49 percent through three games.

A loss by Miami would be the first time a defending NBA champion lost in the first round since the 2000 San Antonio Spurs were dropped in four games by the Phoenix Suns. The coach for Phoenix for that series is current Chicago coach Scott Skiles.