Chicago Bulls went back, on Tuesday, into the first round playoff series against the Miami Heat, when the home fans watched their team smashing the Heat 109-90. It was all Bulls in Game 3, especially since O'Neill managed to give the worst performance of his career. He only had 2 points during the first 3 quarters, allowing Chicago to put a lot of points ahead in the game. Ben Gordon was the main scorer for Chicago, pouring in 24 points. Along with Nociaoni's 9 assists, Chicago made sure that they will survive in the series at least for two more games.

"We did what we had to do to win this game. Defensively it was not about eliminating the penetration, just when it came we did a better job of cracking back on Shaq. We did not allow him lobs, or let him get in front of the rim", said Scott Skiles - Bulls coach - after the game.


In the previous game, in Miami, Chicago were losing in the dying minutes, after a great 20-point recovery. It was Bulls' time now, since their defense did a great job keeping Shaq away from scoring chances. "We just tried to be more aggressive, especially on our pick-and-rolls. It was also about just making plays, whether it was taking my shot or looking for other people", explained Kirk Hinrich, Bulls playmaker.

The Heat lost 3 of the 4 quarters, and O'Neill finished with 8 points, his second lowest in the playoffs. Dwane Wade, Heat guard and playmaker, explained the loss: "They just played with more energy than we did. Our team was not as focused on defense as it should be. In the first two games we sent them into our big guys. Today, with Shaq in foul trouble, it was a different story".

Heat will try to go for the win in Game 4, in Chicago, after seeing their 2-0 lead cut to half. Game 4 of the series will take place on Sunday.

Other results:
Denver Nuggets - L.A. Clippers 94-87 (1-2)
Indiana Pacers - New Jersey Nets 107-95 (1-2)