Schedule and 2005-06 Results
Regular Season Records: Miami 52-30, Chicago 41-41
Game 1 on Saturday, 22 April: Chicago loses at Miami, 111-pts-106
Game 2 on Monday, 24 April: Chicago loses at Miami, 115-pts-108
Game 3 on Thursday, 27 April: Miami loses at Chicago, 109-pts-90
Game 4 on Sunday, 30 April: Miami loses at Chicago, 93-pts-87
Game 5 on Tuesday, 02 May: Chicago loses at Miami, 92-pts-78
Game 6 on Thursday, 04 May: Miami wins at Chicago, 113-pts-96

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 6: The Miami Heat visited and defeated the Chicago Bulls 113-pts-96, thereby completing a 4-games-2 win of best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 973. With the series 973 win, the Miami Heat improve their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 5-4. With the series 973 loss, the Chicago Bulls see their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record fall to 22-15. The win order for the victorious Heat in series 973 was WWLLWW: Series 973 thus becomes the first NBA Preliminary-round series, the 22nd NBA series (all rounds), and the 57th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow the WWLLWW win order.

After Game 5: With best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 973 having returned to Miami for Game 5, the host Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls 92-pts-78 to take a 3-games-2 series lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Miami Heat have a 1-2 series record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-2, the Chicago Bulls have a 0-7 series record.

After Game 4: Tying best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 973 at 2-games-all, the Chicago Bulls hosted and defeated the Miami Heat 93-pts-87 in series 973 Game 4. When tied 2-games-all in a best-of-7 NBA series, the Miami Heat have a 1-3 series record, while the Chicago Bulls have an 8-8 series record.

After Game 3: With best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 973 in Chicago for Games 3-4, the host Bulls defeated the Miami Heat 109-pts-90. Miami thus leads series 973 by a 2-games-1 margin. When leading an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 2-games-1, the Miami Heat have a series record of 1-2. When trailing an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 2-games-1, the Chicago Bulls have a series record of 1-7.

After Game 2: The Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls 115-pts-108 to take a 2-games-nil best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 973 lead. When leading an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 2-games-nil, the Miami Heat have a 3-0 series record. When trailing an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 2-games-nil, the Chicago Bulls have a 1-9 series record.

After Game 1: The Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls 111-pts-106 to take a 1-game-nil best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 973 lead. When leading an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 1-game-nil, the Miami Heat have a 3-1 series record with a three-series winning streak. When trailing an NBA best-of-7 playoff series 1-game-nil, the Chicago Bulls have a 5-12 series record.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2005-06 regular season, Miami finished 11 games ahead of Chicago. Through the 2005 MLB Finals, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by 11 regular-season games, they have posted a 14-4 (.778) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 973 is the 37th best-of-7 playoff series for Chicago, and the ninth for Miami. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, Chicago has a 22-14 series record, a 0-1 Prelim-round series record, and a 19-17 Game 1 record, while Miami has a 4-4 series record, a 2-0 Prelim-round record, and a 4-4 Game 1 record. Series 973 is the second NBA best-of-7 playoff meeting between Chicago and Miami; Chicago won the first series between these two franchises in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 742 (in the 1997 NBA Semifinals).