Hooped Up

Heat guard Dwyane Wade is a Chicago guy, someone still in love with his hometown. But the Chicago Bulls rarely give him a warm reception.

Bulls forward Andres Nocioni pushed Wade in the back and sent him sprawling after a play two years ago, then delivered more hard hits on him during last year’s Miami-Chicago series, won by the Heat in six games. This season, Kirk Hinrich tugged the Miami star’s arm so hard that Wade sprained a wrist.

And the Heat expect more ruggedness from the Bulls starting Saturday, when the teams open an Eastern Conference first-round rematch in Chicago.

“Am I concerned? Yeah. Knowing Scott Skiles, yeah,” Heat center Shaquille O’Neal said, referring to the Bulls’ head coach. “He’ll be saying foul him, foul him hard.”

NBA