European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 54 stars and stripes thursday april 26 2007 champs undaunted by 20 Hole to bulls 9 heat confident they can defend Home court Aba title by Andrew Seligman the associated press Chicago the Way dwyane Wade sees it this first round series with the Chi Cago bulls is a Long Way from Over in fact it Hast even begun in his mind the series Doest Start until somebody wins on the other teams Home court Wade said wades logic May seem As flawed As his performance so far but he and the Miami heat know All about climbing out of 20 deficits they did it last year and won the championship  need More from Wade and their other superstar Shaquille Oneal to do it again Ben Gordon scored 27 Points and Lull Deng added 26 to Lead the bulls to a 10789 Victory tuesday night and a 20 Lead Over the defending champions i have been around a Long time and Ive been in All these situations before Oneal said basically the bulls did what there supposed to do and protect their Home court we have to play smarter basketball we got to come with a lot More Energy and play with a lot More Effort and a lot More passion Gordon scored 11 in the third Quarter hitting three three pointers and the bulls built a 17point Lead Deng scored 14 in the fourth As Chicago sent Miami Halfway to elimination Oneal accused the bulls of flopping and lashed out at referee Eddie f Rush after game 1 but said it was a perfect game today for the officials it was anything but that for the heat and their superstars Oneal and Wade had subpar performances again after struggling through foul trouble in the opener finishing with 17 and 21 Points respectively Oneal was just 6for14 from the floor with eight re Bounds Wade who led a late charge in game 1 never really got going hitting nine of 19 both stars had seven turnovers we really cant make any excuses to night Oneal said it was a Well played game they just outplayed us i had Way too Many turnovers they shot the Ballex Tremley Well trailing 8571 through three quarters the heat were within seven after wades Layup Early in the fourth but they had no answer for Deng Quintin the first half after scoring 333n the opener Deng scored the bulls first eight Points in the fourth be fore Thabo Sefo Losha hit a jumper that made it 9582 Midway through the Quarter the Besto seven series shifts to Miami for two games with game 3 Friday night the Bottom line is were the world champions and the first team that wins four games and that has riot happened yet miamis Alonzo mourning said Home teams that have taken the first two games in a Besto seven series have gone on to Advance 95 percent of the time but the heat and bulls have bucked that trend in recent seasons Miami dropped the first two games at Dallas in last years finals then won four straight to capture the championship two years ago the bulls opened with two wins at Home Over Washington but lost the next four in their first playoff appearance since the Michael Jordan Scottie Pippen Era weve got to be mature enough to under stand that Miami has been in this Situa Tion said Deng who was 2for7 with six Points in the first half we cant relax we have to keep playing aggressive and bulls coach Scott Skiles said Over Confidence is not a problem after what happened to his team against Washington the bulls fell into this matchup when they lost the season finale to new Jersey and dropped from the second seed to fifth but what seemed like trouble for them has so far looked rather easy heat Center Shaquille Oneal wipes his face during game 2 in Chicago on tuesday Miami lost and trails in the series 20 the bulls were 43for78 Overall and llfor17 on three pointers now the heat need another big come Back always been a team when if s looking bad and we need a win we always get it and fight for it Wade said Aba scoreboard playoffs first round Besto seven Eastern conference Detroit is Orlando Detroit 100 Orlando 92 Detroit 98 Orlando 90 Detroit leads series 20 thursday Detroit at Orlando saturday Detroit at Orlando tuesday Orlando at thursday May 3 Detroit at saturday May 5 Orlando at Cleveland is Washington Cleveland 97 Washington 82 Cleveland leads series 10 wednesday Washington at Cleveland saturday Cleveland at Washington monday Cleveland at Washington wednesday May 2 Washington at Friday May 4 Cleveland at sunday May 6 Washington at Toronto is new Jersey new Jersey 96 Toronto 91 tuesday Toronto 89 new Jersey 83 series tied 11 Friday Toronto at new Jersey sunday Toronto at new Jersey tuesday new Jersey at Toronto Friday May 4 Toronto at new sunday May 6 new Jersey at Miami is Chicago Chicago 96 Miami 91 tuesday Chicago 107 Miami 89 Chicago leads series 20 Friday Chicago at Miami sunday Chicago at Miami tuesday Miami at thursday May 3 Chicago at saturday May 5 Miami at Western conference Dallas is Golden state Golden state 97 Dallas 85 Golden state leads series 10 wednesday Golden state at Dallas Friday Dallas at Golden state sunday Dallas at Golden state tuesday Golden state at thursday May 3 Dallas at Golden saturday May 5 Golden state at Phoenix is la lakers Phoenix 95 la lakers 87 tuesday Phoenix 126 la lakers 98 Phoe Nix leads series 20 thursday Phoenix at la lakers sunday Phoenix at la lakers wednesday May 2 la lakers at Friday May 4 Phoenix at la sunday May la lakers at san Antonio is Denver Denver 95 san Antonio 89 Denver leads series 10 wednesday Denver at san Antonio saturday san Antonio at Denver monday san Antonio at Denver wednesday May 2 Denver at san Friday May 4 san Antonio at sunday May 6 Denver at san Utah is Houston Houston 84 Utah 75 Houston 98 Utah 90 Houston leads series 20 thursday Houston at Utah saturday Houston at Utah monday Utah at thursday May 3 Houston at saturday May 5 Utah at if necessary tuesday bulls 107 heat 89 Miami Jones 13 00 2 haslem 35 00 6 Oneal 614 5517 Wade 919 36 21 Williams 1712 4 mourning 22 22 6 Posey 37 3311 Kapono 58 00 11 Walker 48 22 11 totals 3473 1620 89 Chicago Deng 1119 44 26 Brown 46 2210 Wallace 46129 Gordon 1119 00 27 Hinrich 612 00 14 Nocini 37 11 10 Tho Mas 02 23 2 Sefo Losha 45 00 9 Duhon 02 00 0 Allen 00 00 0 Griffin 00 00 0 totals 43781012107 Miami 21 31 19 1889 Chicago 31 24 30 22107 516 Posey 26 Kapono 11 Walker 13 Williams 15 Jones Chicago 1117 Gordon 58 Nocini 34 Hinrich 22 Sefo Losha 11 Duhon fouled 38 Oneal Posey Chicago 42 Gordon As Sist Miami 21 Wade Chicago 28 Hin Rich total 14 Chicano 19 flagrant foul Brown a23097 raptors 89 nets 83 new Jersey Jefferson 416 4413 Moore 34 23 8 Collins 22 22 6 Carter 824 2419 Kidd 514 00 14 Boone 11 00 2 Nachbar 6111117 Wright 12 00 2 Williams 12 00 2 Adams 00 00 0 totals 3176 1114 83 Toronto Graham 03 00 0 Bosh 1020 56 25 Nesterovich 25 22 6 Parker 813 79 26 Ford 412 4413 Peterson 25 00 6barg Nani 04 34 3 Calderon 411 00 8 Dixon 11 00 2 Humphries 02 00 0 totals 3176 2125 89 new Jersey 12 24 27 2083 Toronto 14 19 25 3189 three Point Jersey 1023 Kidd 46 Nachbar 47 Jefferson 13 Carter Toronto 615 Parker 34 Peterson 23 Ford 13 Bagnani 02 Calderon fouled Jersey 50 cart or Kidd Toronto 47 Bosh As Jersey 18 Kidd Toronto 12 Ford total Jersey 22 Toron to 17 a20239 suns 126 lakers 98 la lakers Odom 412 25 10 Walton 28 34 9 Brown 36 12 7 Bryant 513 4415 Farmar 481110 Bynum 4712 9 Evans 49 0010 Parker 01 00 0 Cook 28 22 7 Vujacic 36 00 7 Williams 46 00 9 Turiaf 13 34 5 totals 3687 1724 98 Phoenix Jjones 38 4412 Marion 718 4418 Stoudemire 913 24 20 Bell 47 00 11 Nash 711 00 16 Barbosa 1118 00 26 Diaw 46 01 8 Thomas 23 34 7 Rose 14 00 2 Banks 02 22 2 Burke 11 of 2 Piatkowski 1100 2 totals 5092 1519 126 Ual Akers 2522232898 Phoenix 31 37 27 31126 three Point lakers 924 Wal ton 24 Evans 25 Cook 12 Williams 12 Vujacic 13 Farmar 13 Bryant 14 Odom Phoenix 1126 Barf Rosa 48 Bell 35 Jjones 24 Nash 24 Diaw 01 Banks 01 Rose 01 Marion fouled rebound lakers 49 Bynum Phoenix 55 Marion assists la lakers 16 Bryant Phoenix 30 Nash total fouls la lakers 20 Phoenix 21 technic Asla Lak ers defensive three second a18422 lakers cant keep up with suns the associated press Phoenix the Phoenix suns were almost flawless executing on offence and stopping the los Angeles lakers on defense Phoenix was at its fast and Furi Ous Best in a 12698 rout of the lakers on tuesday night that put the suns up 20 in their Besto seven first round series you can never go out there and play perfect the suns Shawn Marion said but i think we did everything we wanted on both ends of the floor it was the third most on sided Victory in the franchises playoff history its hard to single things out Phoenix coach Mike Dantoni said our defense was really Good our rebounding was really Good we really ran Well and i dont know if we can play any bet ter than that the suns had lost five consecutive playoff game 2s including one at Home against the lakers a year ago but it was apparent Early that this would be no replay Phoenix led by 21 in the second Quarter and 28 in the third a great performance the Usu ally Hardtop lease Steve Nash said the battered lakers headed Home for thursdays game 3 look at the score lakers Lamar Odom said look How we lost this game something has to change Quick Leandro Barbosa presented with the Aba sixth Man award trophy before Tipoff scored 26 to match his career playoff High for the second game in a Row leading six suns in double figures it was a big night for me said Barbosa whose Mother and brother were in attendance after arriving from Brazil earlier in the Day the speedy Barbosa seems to be the key right now to what we have to do defensively to slow them Down lakers coach Phil Jackson said there was no slowing any of the suns on tuesday Nash had 16 Points and 14 assists Amare Stoudemire who was watching in Street clothes when the suns lost game 2 to the lakers last year added 20 Points nine rebounds and four blocked shots two of them spectacular ones against Kobe Bryant and Odom to set the tone in the first Quarter Nash and Stoudemire each played just 24 minutes both sat out the fourth Quarter getting some rest before game 3 in los Angeles on thursday night raptors 89 nets 83 at Toron to the raptors celebrated with Sam Mitchell then went out and played like him after starting the night with an award ceremony for their coach of the year the raptors evened series at a game apiece he want the prettiest player but he got the Job done and that kind of How the playoffs Are for Ward Chris Bosh said you just have to get the Job done no mat ter what happens Anthony Parker scored 26 Points and Bosh added 25 Points and 13 rebounds in Toronto first playoff Victory since a 9484 Home win Over Detroit on april 27 2002 it came hours after Mitchell was honoured As the nabs coach of the year for Lead ing the raptors to a 20win improvement and their first Atlantic division title we definitely turned a Corner As a team tonight because we gut Ted it out especially when things we rent going Well Parker said this was a game we had to have we  go to Jersey Down 02 now weve got to go to Jersey and get one new jerseys Bastjan Nachbar missed a three Pointer from the Corner that would have tied the game with 8 seconds to play game 3 is Friday night in new Jersey we Felt very confident coming Down the stretch that we could win this game but unfortunately we didst new Jersey guard Jason Kidd said were not disappointed we came up Here to win game 2 and we gave our Best Effort Mitchell said he was touched when his players joined him at Center court for the pregame award ceremony with commissioner David Stem none of this could have happened without those 15 Guys in the locker room Mitchell said the Best part other than winning the basketball game was the presentation when those Guys came out because we really care about each other i work them hard but they also know How much i care about them Bosh said the gesture was a sign of team Unity he dedicated that award to everyone Bosh said he knows and we know that it takes a team if you do team things Well individual recognition comes along with it to Ford scored 13 Points for the raptors including four key free throws in the final minute Parker also made three free throws in the final 8 seconds