The Chicago Bulls looked to be the favorite to win the Play-In against the Miami Heat. Chicago finished the season stronger than the Heat, they had the homecourt advantage and swept the season series 3-0.
Related: NBA Play-In: Magic beat Hawks
All of this advantage for the Bulls seemingly went out the window and it is all thanks to Tyler Herro. He certainly played like a hero tonight scoring 38 points, including scoring 23 in the first half.
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Herro was on fire, shooting a perfect 8-8 from the field. Three of his made baskets were from behind the arc.
Tyler Herro in the first half:
23 points
100% FG
100% 3PT
100% FT(Via @realapp_ ) pic.twitter.com/H5LvUzkLuC
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 17, 2025
The Heat took a commanding 71-47 lead into halftime, thanks to Herro’s shooting and the overall team shooting. Miami shot 58.7% from the field and 55.6% from three.
As for the Bulls, they struggled to find the touch. Chicago shot only 45.2% overall and 33.3% from three.
This was only the second time Miami held a 20-point lead or more at halftime all season. The last time, which occurred in a December game against the Orlando Magic, resulted in the Magic coming back to win 121-114.
The Heat wouldn’t blow this lead. They had the Bulls and they knew it. The Bulls were booed off the court as they walked into the locker room, and their spirits were broken.
Chicago tried to get back into the game, and had some nice runs in the third, outscoring Miami 27-17 in the quarter. Overall, Herro and the Heat were just too tough.
The Heat kept the lead and never panicked. Miami won the game 109-90 behind Herro’s 38 points on 13-19 shooting and 3-7 from three.
Miami has moved on to face the Atlanta Hawks in one more Play-In game to determine who will become the eighth seed and face the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As for the Bulls, this is their third Play-In loss to the Heat and they’ll have to regroup over the summer. After trading their two best players away in DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, many thought the Bulls would be a lottery team.
The young Chicago core came together and played inspired basketball. This is something they can build upon next season.
As of now, they’ll have to sit back and watch as the Heat battle the Hawks on Friday, April 18, at 7:00 PM EST, to see who will secure that final playoff spot.
