Heat, Bulls to meet again, with trip to Eastern Conference finals at stake

Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade, left, runs drills against David Fizdale during the team's practice session Sunday, May 5, 2013, as The Heat prepares to play the Chicago Bull in the upcoming NBA bsketball playoff series, in Miami. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (The Associated Press)

Chicago Bulls' Joakim Noah, top, celebrates with teammate Nate Robinson after defeating the Brooklyn Nets 99-93 in Game 7 of their first-round NBA basketball playoff series in New York, Saturday, May 4, 2013. The Bulls won the series to advance to a second-round series against the Miami Heat beginning Monday. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (The Associated Press)

MIAMI – The Chicago Bulls took Sunday off to rest weary bodies. The Miami Heat put mouth guards in place and went to work, finally knowing their opponent in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Game 1 of the Bulls-Heat series is Monday in Miami, with the teams coming off very different weeks.

Chicago fought injuries and illness, then went on the road to win Game 7, oust Brooklyn and advance. Miami did not play at all, after sweeping Milwaukee in the first round and waiting impatiently for either the Bulls or Nets to advance.

The Heat say they'll be ready to get the Bulls' best effort. And the Bulls will surely be teeming with confidence after beating Brooklyn, plus not being that far removed from snapping Miami's 27-game winning streak.