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LeBron, Heat try to punch ticket to NBA Finals in Chicago

May 26, 2011 - 2:28 PM (Sports Network) - LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami this offseason with an eye on the Lawrence O'Brien trophy.

The Heat can climb one step closer to their ultimate goal tonight when they visit a top-seeded Chicago team trying to stave off elimination in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

James led all scorers with 35 points on Tuesday and shut down NBA MVP Derrick Rose with the game on the line in regulation, as the Heat pulled out a 101-93 overtime victory in Game 4 to take total control of the series.

Bosh dropped in 22 points and Wade made up for a quiet scoring night with two blocks in OT for Miami, which is one win away from a trip to the NBA Finals in the first year of its roster upheaval.

Mike Miller scored nine of his 12 points in a seesaw fourth quarter, and the Heat, up 3-1 in the series, can close out the Bulls tonight at the United Center.

"We're going to try to play as desperate as we've played the last three games," James said. "We're not taking anything for granted."

Chicago, touted as the team with more depth coming into the series, used its starters extensively in the must-win game.

Rose, in particular, appeared to have tired legs when it mattered most, making just one field goal after the third-quarter buzzer. Rose's line saw him score 23 points, hand out six assists and commit seven of the team's 22 turnovers.

"It's not over. We still have games to play," said Rose, whose club was coming off consecutive double-digit losses after rolling to a 21-point victory in Game 1. "They are beatable."

For the first time this season, the Bulls have lost three in a row, though they nearly evened the series in the final minute of the fourth.

Rose, the reigning NBA MVP, had the ball with the game tied, 85-85, and eight seconds left when James locked down on Rose, causing an airball from 17 feet.

"We wanted the last shot," Bulls coach Ton Thibodeau said. "That's his shot. He's made that shot all year for us. So if it goes in, we're all praising him. It doesn't go in, everyone wants to criticize him. One game he's shooting too much. The next game he's not shooting enough. That goes with the territory."

Bosh put in the extra period's first points at the free throw line, after he missed a dunk while getting fouled with 3:23 remaining. Then Bosh took advantage of a Carlos Boozer miss by getting open off an inbounds play at the top of the key and canning a jumper for an 89-85 lead.

Chicago had some fight left, as Rose drove the baseline to open up Ronnie Brewer for a much-needed make from behind the arc. Wade answered with his first points after halftime with a baseline jumper, and Boozer went 1-of-2 from the line prior to James getting a left-handed scoop to drop for a 93-89 cushion with 1:36 to play.

Luol Deng, who along with Boozer netted 20 points, threw away the ensuing inbounds pass, and Rose turned it over the next time down. Wade's driving score and block on Deng sealed the tough victory and put Miami on the brink of its first NBA Finals appearance since 2006, when they defeated Dallas for the title. The Mavericks punched their ticket to the NBA Finals by eliminating Oklahoma City on Wednesday.

"This series is an absolute bloodbath. This game was a grind," Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It's challenging for any team to get into an offensive flow. It's as competitive and physical as it can be. But it was about enduing and making whatever game-saving plays we needed to."

To make matters worse for the Bulls, the team confirmed bad news regarding their highly-regarded backup center Omer Asik. An MRI before Game 4 revealed that the 7-foot rookie sustained a fractured left fibula in Game 3 of the series on May 22. Asik attempted to play in Game 4, but had recurrent discomfort and a loss of function. The injury will not require surgery but he's done for the season with an expected recovery time of six weeks.

Miami isn't without its own problems, however. Miller's newborn daughter, Jaelyn, is in the intensive care unit of a South Florida hospital. The sharp- shooter made the trip to the Second City but could have a tough time following up on one of his best games of the season.

Wade, a Chicago native and member of the '06 Heat championship club, knows his team still needs to play with a sense of urgency despite a comfortable lead. Only eight teams have overcome a 3-1 deficit in NBA playoff history.

"We're desperate [too]," Wade said. "We didn't work this hard to put ourself in this position, to be up 3-1, to not be able to match their energy and effort."

The Bulls swept a three-game season series with Miami in the regular season, taking two in the Windy City and another in South Beach. All three contests were won by razor-thin margins, however, with Chicago winning by three, four and one.

The clubs have met in the postseason five previous times with Chicago taking four of those sets. The Bulls swept Miami in the first round in the 1992, '96 and 2007 playoffs. Chicago also took the Heat in five games in the '97 East finals while Miami earned a six-game triumph over the Bulls in the first round of the '06 postseason.

Game 6 in the series, if necessary, will be Saturday back in Miami.