NBA - Bulls dispatch Hawks to set up clash with Heat [video]

ATLANTA (NBA) - Carlos Boozer had his best performance to date in this year's playoffs to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 93-73 win over the Atlanta Hawks and wrap up their Eastern Conference semi-finals 4-2.

The result sees the Bulls advance to the Eastern Conference Finals where they will take on the Miami Heat who dispatched the Boston Celtics in five games.

Chicago last got this far into the post-season in 1998, when Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen led them to their second three-peat of titles in the 1990s.

Boozer, who has had his ups and down in an injury-plagued first season with the Bulls, had 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

For the most part, the 29-year-old benefited from the Hawks being too concerned with MVP Derrick Rose, who finished with 'only' 19 points but handed out 12 assists.

"D-Rose gets so much attention," said Boozer, who has played through a toe injury in the post-season. “The 15-footer was open for me. I shot it.”

Chicago raced out to a 27-17 lead by the end of the first quarter and weren't under any real threat thereafter as Atlanta shot a meager 37 percent from the field and often found themselves taking contested shots.

The loss extended the Hawks' wait to make it out of the second round. They have failed to do so since 1968.

Rose said while it's great for his team to advance to the conference finals, they have sights on bigger things.

“It’s huge for us to get this far,” he enthused. “We’re happy to get the conference finals, but we’re not planning to stop right there.”

Chicago host Miami for Game 1 on Sunday.

On Friday, the Oklahoma City Thunder look to book their place in the Western Conference Finals - where the Dallas Mavericks await - when they take on the Grizzlies in Memphis.

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