Posey is microcosm of Heat's Game 5

So, the Heat have taken the lead in the series with a Game 5 win over the Bulls in Miami. And things are back to somewhat normal in Heat Nation.

How did the Heat do it? With improved defensive intensity and by attacking the Bulls offensively.

The best illustration of this was James Posey - who played 34 minutes, the most he has played in this entire series. He also tied his series high in scoring, with 12 points and also grabbed 8 rebounds.

What is interesting is that Posey was 5-11 from the field, but only 2-7 from behind the arc. This reflects the Heat's offensive production as a team, as the Heat shot 45%, a respectable number, but shot only 17.4% (2-23) from three point range. In order for the Heat to win game 6, which will witness the Bulls greatest effort as they will be trying to save their season, the Heat have got to demonstrate better shot selection and not just waste shots.

But it wasn't just the offensive boost that Posey provided to the Heat that helped, it was mostly his defensive presence that contributed to this win. Hinrich shot 3-13 and Ben Gordon was cooled to a 3-16 performance. Even Luol Deng struggled, shooting 2-8. The Heat as a team did a better job limiting the looks of the Bulls perimeter players, most notably Hinrich and Gordon.

The Bulls offensive attack is based upon their perimeter shooting, using screen and rolls to get open looks. The Heat did a much better job meeting their assignments and rotating, and Posey was a big factor in helping stablize the Heat's perimeter defense. His absence in Game 4 was noticeable, as the Bulls seemed to dominate the game from the perimeter.

At the start of the season, it was slated that Posey would fulfill the role Eddie Jones played with the Heat - the go to perimeter defender who would stick open threes and do the dirty work to push this offense into high gear. It has been a mixed bag this season for Posey, his first as a member of the Heat, illustrated by his shoulder blow on Hinrich and subsequent suspension for Game 4. All Posey did was vent his frustration and it boiled over to the rest of the team in Game 3 and it got him tossed. Then, Posey collects himself and puts in his best performance for Game 5 and the Heat return to form for another playoff win.

The Heat will need another great effort from Posey for Game 6 in order to end the running of the Bulls. Posey will also help stabilize the Heat's defensive presence and open up the game for the rest of his Heat's teammates.