Tom Thibodeau always heaps praise on his opponents. It doesn't matter whom the Bulls are playing on a given night, Thibodeau will make that team sound as if they could crush the Bulls if Derrick Rose and company don't give maximum effort and focus. But even Thibodeau knows that Sunday afternoon's matchup with the Miami Heat is different.

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Dennis Wierzbicki/US PresswireIn typical Tom Thibodeau fashion, the Bulls' coach praised the opposition.

"They're the Eastern Conference champs," Thibodeau told reporters after Saturday afternoon's practice. "So we're chasing them. We got to work hard to get the things done that we want to get done."

As much as Thibodeau might try to downplay the game against LeBron James and the Heat, he and his players know that it will be a little more intense than usual. After all, the Heat knocked off the Bulls during last spring's Eastern Conference finals.

"I think it's definitely a game you circle in your calendar as soon as the schedule comes out," Bulls center Joakim Noah told reporters. "Losing to Miami was definitely tough. You learn from your experiences and lets see if we can get it done."

In order to beat the Heat, the Bulls must find some way to slow down James and Dwyane Wade, a task that will probably fall on Bulls' swingman Ronnie Brewer. Brewer will see plenty of action on both, considering there's a solid chance that both Luol Deng (wrist) and Rip Hamilton (thigh) may miss the game.

"You have to prepare the same way for them," Brewer said of James and Wade. "They're talented guys who can score a lot of points in a short amount of time. You have to try and take their space away, be physical with them, contest every shot. And you can't let them get easy baskets."