Heat eliminate Bulls from play-in, move on to face Hawks

 CHICAGO – For the third consecutive year, the Miami Heat ousted the Chicago Bulls to advance in the play-in tournament, cruising to a 109-90 victory on Wednesday night.

Tyler Herro delivered a stellar performance, scoring 38 points while hitting his first eight shots. Miami never trailed, leading by as much as 25 points during the game.

Next up for the Heat is a Friday night matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, with the winner earning a spot to face the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Atlanta lost to the Orlando Magic in Tuesday's play-in game.

Chicago had dominated the season series, sweeping the Heat 3-0, which gave Miami even more motivation to perform at a high level. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra acknowledged that respect for the Bulls fueled their intensity on defense.

“Chicago humbled us this year,” Spoelstra said. “They have a unique style, playing with pace and putting up points. We had leads in two of our matchups, but they came storming back with some impressive scoring quarters. Our guys truly respected their offensive firepower.”

Miami’s defense stifled Chicago’s offense, holding them to a season-low 90 points.

For the Bulls, the shooting struggles were widespread. Josh Giddey was 9-for-21 from the field (2-of-7 from three) for 25 points, while Coby White struggled, finishing 5-for-20 (3-of-12 from three) for 17 points and seven turnovers. Chicago’s bench contributed just 13 points, another season low.

"They hit us first, and we didn’t respond properly,” said Giddey. “Miami’s a well-coached team, and they've been here before. We knew what was at stake, but we didn't come out with the right mindset. That's what happens when you don’t show up—you lose, and your season ends.”

Herro was simply too much for the Bulls, hitting three 3-pointers and going a perfect 8-for-8 on layups and floaters, per ESPN Research.

"He was doing it in so many different ways," Spoelstra said. "He made plays off the ball and in unscripted situations, and it was a result of him developing that skillset with us."

Both teams had planned to control the pace of play, with Chicago ranked second in the NBA for pace, while Miami was 27th. However, it was Miami that dictated the tempo from the opening tip. The Heat went into halftime with a commanding 71-47 lead, their largest of the season at the break. Chicago briefly cut the deficit to 13 in the fourth quarter, but Miami quickly pulled away.

"We felt like we should’ve won all three of those games against them," Herro said. "We controlled nearly every quarter, except for a few, but Chicago came up big in those moments. It felt like we should’ve done better."

The Heat’s victory marked the 19th instance in NBA history that one team has eliminated the same opponent for three consecutive seasons in the playoffs or play-in tournament, according to Elias. It was the fifth such occurrence since the 2000-01 season.

Despite the loss, the Bulls had been one of the hottest teams in the league over the past month, finishing 15-6 since March 6. But after a 39-43 record, they fell short in their third straight attempt to overcome Miami.

“We’re better than what we showed tonight,” Giddey admitted.

Now, the Heat move on to face the Hawks. If Miami advances to the playoffs, it will mark their sixth consecutive postseason appearance, tying a franchise record.

“The job’s not finished,” Herro said. “We know what our path is. We’ve got two tough wins ahead of us on the road, but we’re capable. We just have to keep this focus.”