"The last thing anyone should do is doubt Bulls star Derrick Rose's sincerity. So when he says the game Sunday against the Miami Heat is no more than the next one on the schedule, he means it.

But there's also no disputing Bulls-Heat has become the NBA's trendiest rivalry. They are the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and it likely will feel like something more than just another game when they square off at American Airlines Arena.

The battle to establish a pecking order atop the East begins Sunday, and those who have studied both teams think the winner of their seemingly inevitable playoff series is too close to call."