Tyler Herro erupted for 38 points as the Miami Heat dominated the Chicago Bulls 109-90 to keep their playoff hopes alive, storming into the next round of the NBA play-in tournament for a third straight year.
From the opening tip, Miami played with urgency and control. Herro couldn’t miss early, hitting his first eight shots and slicing through Chicago’s defense with ease. The Bulls, despite sweeping the regular season series, never found rhythm.
By halftime, the Heat had opened up a 24-point lead, their largest at the break all season. Spoelstra’s team, stung by three prior losses to Chicago, came in focused. “Chicago humbled us this year,” the Heat coach admitted. “Our guys really respected how much they could score.”
That respect translated into suffocating defense. Miami held the Bulls to a season-low 90 points. Josh Giddey led Chicago with 25 but shot inefficiently, while Coby White struggled and committed seven turnovers.
Herro’s efficiency was surgical, 3-of-3 from deep, 8-of-8 on floaters and layups. “It was in a lot of different ways,” Spoelstra said. “He’s making plays that are unscripted.”
Chicago, one of the NBA’s hottest teams since March, simply never fired. “They punched us first,” said Giddey. “We didn’t respond the way we had to.”
Now Miami heads to Atlanta, one win away from a sixth straight postseason berth. “Job’s not finished,” Herro said. “We’ve got to keep this same focus.”
