Heat posterized

With 10:42 left in the second quarter of the Bulls' 103-82 Eastern Conference finals rout Sunday night, Taj Gibson rudely welcomed Heat superstar Dwyane Wade back to his hometown.

Soaring with a nice pass from C.J. Watson, Gibson dunked emphatically over a defenseless Wade for the highlight that most defined Game 1. Put that play on a poster under the bold words "You Got Taj'd, Bro!'' and distribute it to every fan at the United Center before Game 2 on Wednesday.

It was the image that encapsulated everything good the Bulls got from their opener: They weren't going to be intimidated by the Heat's Big Three, who were expected to dominate the series, and much of the credit goes to Gibson and the bench.

Gibson and the group of players who dubbed themselves "The Bench Mob'' ignited the Bulls after an uneven first quarter marked by shaky ballhandling and poor transition defense. Until Gibson posterized Wade, the Bulls looked like a team content to let the Heat force the action.

"I just went up and tried to make a play,'' said Gibson, a major factor again in 23 minutes. "Sometimes you need small plays to inspire the team, and it was one of those that got us a little bit more motivated.''

Indeed, after Gibson's slam tied the score and re-energized the crowd of 22,874, the Bulls' suffocating defense returned, the ball was shared and second-chance points were scored.

"Yeah, that was a good one,'' Wade said of the dunk. "But that's a great ratio for me. That's the first time I've been dunked on all year. I'll take my 90-to-1 dunks this year.''