Despite the absence of star player Jimmy Butler due to a right knee injury, the Heat displayed their depth and resilience, with Kevin Love chipping in 16 points and seven rebounds, and Bam Adebayo adding 13 points to the winning effort.
The Bulls, led by DeMar DeRozan’s 22 points and Nikola Vucevic’s double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds, struggled to keep pace with Miami. Coby White, who had a standout performance against the Atlanta Hawks earlier in the week, managed just 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting.
Miami’s dominance was evident throughout the game, as they shot 46.3 percent from the field, including 14 of 33 from beyond the arc. In contrast, the Bulls struggled to find their rhythm, shooting 38 percent overall and making only 13 of their 43 attempts from long range.
The turning point came in the third quarter when Miami went on a decisive 12-0 run to extend their lead to 22 points. From there, they never looked back, maintaining a comfortable advantage and cruising to a 112-91 victory.
With the win, the Heat set up a first-round playoff matchup against the top-seeded Boston Celtics, renewing their rivalry from the past two Eastern Conference finals. Both teams will be eager to assert their dominance and advance further in the postseason.
(Inputs from Reuters)