The week ahead in the NBA

By Ben Bolch

Jan. 28, 2012 12 AM PT

CHICAGO AT MIAMI:

12:30 p.m. PST Sunday. TV: Channel 7.

Eight months after these teams met in the Eastern Conference finals, not much has changed. The Bulls still have the better record, and the Heat still possesses the swagger of a team that expects everyone to quiver in its presence.

Miami became whole again Friday when Dwyane Wade returned against the New York Knicks after sitting out six games because of a sprained ankle.

Judging from his dunk over Landry Fields, Wade is already back to top form. Miami’s roster includes one player, Eddy Curry, who will torment Chicago by his mere presence; the former first-round draft pick never fully met expectations in four seasons with the Bulls.

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Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

The week ahead in the NBA

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