Nate Robinson, who has assumed the position of starting point guard for the Chicago Bulls due to Derrick Rose's failure to return to the court this year from his torn anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered last postseason and Kirk Hinrich's bruised calf, is the Bulls' most potent offensive guard.
Robinson shot 50 percent from the floor in Game 1 of Chicago's Eastern Conference semifinal series against the defending champion Miami Heat, en route to a game-high 27 points, and a shocking road win. That is why LeBron James, the consensus top player in the world, guarded all five feet and eight inches of Robinson in Game 2, and will continue to do so in the near future.
The high-flying, streaky-shooting Robinson was smothered in Game 2; James harassed him into a 3-of-10 night from the field; Robinson managed just 11 points and two assists while turning the ball over four times. He also collided with James, who is about a foot taller than him, when the two chased a loose ball that left him with 10 stitches. The Bulls were smoked 115-78 and James is likely to stick on Robinson until Luol Deng is able to return from his illness.
Deng, the team's best wing scorer in the absence of Rose, got sick during Chicago's first round, seven-game tilt with the Brooklyn Nets and required a spinal tap to rule out the possibility that he had contracted meningitis. He hasn't played since Game 6 of the first round.
Deng, describing his sickness said, "Started having severe headaches. Was struggling to walk. Started feeling really weak. Started throwing up ... I couldn't control my body really, and because of that I lost a lot of weight."
He praised his teammates for their toughness without him, saying, "Guys are going out there and just playing together. Just seeing them do it together is really the main thing. ... Watching it obviously is a lot harder when you're not out there, but just seeing your teammates play that hard and fighting together."
Until he comes back, the burden to score falls on the massive shoulders of power forward Carlos Boozer, and the smaller shoulders of Robinson. In Game 3 tonight, LeBron James will be waiting.
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