LeBron James and the Miami Heat got off to a slow start in the opening game of the Eastern Conference semi-finals, dropping Game 1 to a more focused Chicago Bulls squad on Monday night. The undermanned Bulls, who also ended Miami’s streak of 27 straight wins in the regular season, found a way to upset the defending champs once more, this time ending a 12-game Heat winning streak dating back to April 2nd.

Nate Robinson, who needed 10 stitches to close a cut in his lip and mouth after colliding with James on a loose ball, not only came back to the court but had another superb game for Chicago, scoring 27 points to go along with 9 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal. Jimmy Butler had 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Joakim Noah added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

It was a night that started with celebrations in the American Airlines Arena. Before the game, LeBron James was awarded the MVP trophy by commissioner David Stern, a well deserved trophy that LeBron took home for the second straight year, and the fourth time in the last five years.

"Thank you so much," James said. "And let's get ready to go."

But the Heat didn’t seem to be ready at all.

James was held to just 2 points in the first half on 1-6 shooting, and the Heat started slow after missing plenty of good looks at the basket. The Bulls began the game playing physical defense and were more consistent on offense, making their shots count while the Heat shot under 40% from the field in the first half.

The Bulls were once again short-handed, missing Kirk Hinrich with a calf injury, Luol Deng, who isn’t expected to rejoin the team till Tuesday with an apparently serious illness, and of course Derrick Rose, who hasn’t played since his knee injury last April. Even so, the Bulls kept their game going and showed the toughness they always play with when facing Miami.

"I think when you're facing adversity, you have to be mentally tough," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "But this is just one game. We have to play a lot better in our next one."

The Heat were held to a season-worst 15 points in the first quarter, missing their first 7 shots, as the Bulls established some early confidence. The Heat bounced back in the second, with Dwyane Wade getting his offense going. Wade finished the game with 14 points, joining LeBron as the only Heat players in double figures. At the half, the score was tied 37-37 and the Miami crowd was back in the game.

Miami started to push things in the beginning of the second half, with James hitting a three-pointer at the start. The Bulls were able to respond to the Heat's rally, and went into the fourth quarter down just 62-58.

The last quarter was the turning point of the game, as the Heat built their biggest lead of the night. LeBron James overcame a hard foul from Jimmy Butler to make the bucket and complete a 3-point play, giving Miami a 76-69 lead midway through the quarter. The Bulls were unshaken however, and put together a 7-0 run to even the gap. Ray Allen hit his only 3-pointer to give Miami a 80-78 lead, but Butler answered with a three of his own to put the Bulls in front. A few plays later, a James basket gave Miami a three point lead, but Marco Belinelli hit a three pointer to even the score once again at 86-86. The next bucket came from an invaluable Nate Robinson, to give the lead to the Bulls with just 1:18 to go in the game and send the Heat into confusion.

Wade missed a three, then Robinson scored again and James launched an airball with 45 seconds to go. Robinson made another costless throw to seal the deal for Chicago, who outscored Miami 35-24 in the fourth quarter.

"There's no excuses," said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, whose team had not played in more than a week. "We're not making any excuses for time off or anything else."

Spoelstra will hope his team has shed the rust caused by a week of rest after their first round sweep. He now needs to get his team prepared and make the necessary mental adjustments for a must-win Game 2 on Wednesday night.