Heat Defeat Bulls in Must-Win Play-In Game
After dropping all three matchups to the Bulls in the regular season, the Miami Heat came into tonight’s Play-In game with urgency. They secured a crucial 109-90 win to stay alive in the playoff race. Tyler Herro led the way with 38 points in a statement performance, supported by Andrew Wiggins' 20 points. Bam Adebayo and Davion Mitchell each added 15, helping Miami flip the script and extend their season. Josh Giddey put up a strong effort for Chicago with 25 points and 10 assists, but he didn’t get enough out of his supporting cast to slow down anything Miami was doing.
Herro set the tone early for Miami with a perfect first half, making his first eight shots from the field, leading to 23 first-half points. Wiggins chipped in 10 points in the opening quarter, helping the Heat gain an early 16-point lead. Chicago answered with a spark from Giddey, who had 11 points, and a buzzer-beating three from rookie Matas Buzelis to trim the deficit to 11. Duncan Robinson came out strong in the second quarter, scoring eight quick points, while Miami’s defense forced a string of turnovers that led to 15 points. The Heat dominated the second 32-19, stretching their lead to 24, their largest halftime lead of the season.
Chicago came out strong to start the third quarter, going on a 16-7 run and taking advantage of a brief lapse from Miami, forcing Erik Spoelstra to call two timeouts during the stretch. Key blocks from Haywood Highsmith and Alec Burks helped slow the momentum, but the Bulls' push was enough to cut the deficit to 14 heading into the fourth. Miami regained control down the stretch, countering anything Chicago tried. A crucial 10-4 run late in the game broke the back-and-forth quarter and propelled the Heat to the 19-point victory.
When you win the rebound, assists, and turnover battles, that's usually a good sign, and Miami checked all those boxes. They came out hot and never gave Chicago too much hope, which is what they need to do if they want to make a playoff run. Next up, they head to Atlanta for one final shot at securing a playoff berth and a first-round matchup with the number one seed Cleveland Cavaliers. The Heat and Hawks split their regular-season series at two games apiece, setting up for what should be a competitive game.
