Playoff dreams died for the Chicago Bulls in the same way they always do — at the hands of the Miami Heat.
This year’s iteration of the toxic cycle — a brutal 109-90 loss at the United Center in the play-in tournament — highlighted every ugly weakness that has limited this Bulls roster for the last three years.
This is the third consecutive season in which the Bulls were eliminated from playoff contention with a play-in loss to the Heat. As fans headed to the exit, scattered chants of “sell the team” echoed around the half-empty arena.
The opening half of the game unfolded like a recurring nightmare, stuck in slow-motion, every play familiar and foreign at the same time. The Heat moved with a different speed and intensity, slinging 39 points in the opening quarter as Tyler Herro scorched the Bulls from every point of the floor.
The Bulls knew how to beat this team. They had done it three times this season. Handily. That wasn’t something they took for granted. The Bulls entered Wednesday’s game with a healthy wariness — about the Heat’s unique culture in elimination games, about the looming threat of Herro and Andrew Wiggins, their own pattern of crumbling in postseasons past.
Still, the blueprint was clear: Play fast, create through chaos, force mistakes, capitalize.
None of that happened.
Photos: Chicago Bulls lose to the Miami Heat in play-in tournament game
“We thought if we just do what we normally do, then we’d be good,” guard Coby White said. “But they got guys that been to the Finals. They got guys that know what it takes. They got a head coach who’s one of the best head coaches in the league. They just came in and were the better team tonight.”
The Bulls’ greatest advantage in this matchup was supposed to be their speed. But they couldn’t push the pace because they kept having to fish the ball out of the net as the Heat buried an onslaught of shots. The visitors went 6-for-9 from 3-point range in the first quarter and finished the first half with 10 baskets from deep.
The first half was a clinic in disruptiveness. The Heat drove the ball to the basket on their first five plays, setting a physical tone of forcing the game downhill. And the Bulls couldn’t get a handle on the other end of the court, slinging turnovers off ill-advised passes as the Heat met them with contact at every perimeter screen.
The second quarter felt somewhat better — after all, the Heat scored only 32 points. But the Bulls scored only nine in the first nine minutes of that frame, tumbling into the locker room at halftime with a 24-point deficit. Boos rained down from the stands of the United Center as players jogged dejectedly off the court.
“The disappointing part was we didn’t play to our identity,” coach Billy Donovan said. “We had 10 or 11 (turnovers) in the first half. You can’t win like that. It’s hard.”
Column: Chicago Bulls fans still turning out ‘through thick and thin.’ Now about that TV deal …
Matas Buzelis provided a rare spark in an otherwise disastrous collapse for the Bulls, tallying nine points and six rebounds in the first elimination game of the rookie’s professional career. He sank a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to close the first half, then drove to the basket for a dunk and then a layup on back-to-back plays to cut the deficit to 17 points in the third quarter.
Minutes later, a White 3-pointer to shave the Heat lead to 15 points was enough to get fans back on their feet and believing again.
It’s not that there wasn’t a chance. After completely collapsing in the first half, the Bulls made all the right adjustments.
Throughout the second half, defenders shifted over to pressure Herro at the point of attack off ball screens to push the guard away from his favored shooting spots. The Bulls treated every defensive rebound like the starting gun in a track race, sprinting up the floor with eyes glued to the rim, intent on maximizing every transition opportunity.
But 24 points were simply too much to overcome. The Bulls outscored the Heat 27-17 in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, they cut the deficit to 13 points. It didn’t matter.
The Heat had a counter for every punch. Herro couldn’t be cooled off, finishing 13-for-19 from the floor for 38 points. Josh Giddey led the Bulls with 25 points, but White managed only 17. The bench offered just 13 points of relief while the Bulls logged more turnovers (17) than assists (15). And shooting just 10-for-37 (27%) from 3-point range, the Bulls simply lacked the offensive engine to pull off a comeback.
This is the worst finish for the Bulls since 2020-21, when they missed the playoffs outright following a 31-41 season. Despite making the play-in tournament, the team will maintain its lottery pick due to missing the playoffs.
For the Bulls, entering the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes — albeit with the second-worst odds in the lottery — will be a small comfort after a third straight losing season.
Originally Published: April 16, 2025 at 9:18 PM CDT
