We’ve seen harder fouls in the past, but in the midst of a winning streak that has been a lot about keeping their composure, LeBron James slightly lost it as the Chicago Bulls ended the Miami Heat fantasy ride, picking up a flagrant foul by ramming Carlos Boozer with his shoulder as the game was slipping away in the final minutes.
In truth, there were probably harder fouls during the game, even on James himself, that were more “flagrant” at first look, but NBA officials are the least consistent bunch of employees you’ll ever get to see working a game. With the Bulls leading 90-82 and less than four minutes on the clock, Boozer set a screen for Kirk Hinrich. LeBron James didn’t feel like getting around it – he just rammed Boozer with his shoulder, which didn’t really flatten anyone on their back, but James got the call he deserved against him.
The Bulls, trying to improve their playoff positioning with three weeks left in the season, won 101-97 despite 32 points from James, seeing his team lose for the first time in nearly two months.