In a high-stakes showdown with their season on the line, the Miami Heat once again proved their Play-In pedigree, defeating the Chicago Bulls 109-90 on Wednesday night. Tyler Herro led the charge with a postseason career-high 38 points, including a flawless 8-for-8 start and 23-point first half that set the tone early at Kaseya Center.
The win sends Miami to a win-or-go-home Play-In finale against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, with the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot on the line. From the opening tip, the Heat looked locked in, shooting 61% in the first quarter and sprinting to a 39-28 lead.
Herro’s outburst tied him for the sixth-most points in Play-In history, joining the likes of teammate Jimmy Butler and upcoming opponent Trae Young. Andrew Wiggins added 20 points, Bam Adebayo notched a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Davion Mitchell’s intense perimeter defense helped Miami hold off a late Bulls surge.
Chicago briefly trimmed the deficit to 13 in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t get any closer. Josh Giddey led the Bulls with 25 points and Coby White added 17, but the team’s postseason hopes were extinguished after a strong late-season push.
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra praised his squad’s resilience: “We’re only halfway there. We didn’t have the luxury of having the one game and then you’re automatically in. Guys feel great about this win and really put a lot into this.”
Now 9-4 since a season-worst 10-game skid in March, the Heat are one win away from their sixth consecutive playoff appearance. Tip-off against the Hawks is set for 7 p.m. ET Friday on TNT.