The Miami Heat suffered a crushing 133-124 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night at the United Center, dropping to .500 on the season at 24-24. The defeat marked another painful late-game collapse, as Miami squandered a 12-point lead with just under 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Bulls, playing without their recent trade acquisitions, closed the game on a dominant 37-16 run to snatch the victory.
The Heat came out firing, putting up 70 first-half points on 54.3% shooting and holding a 10-point advantage at halftime. Duncan Robinson set the tone early with a pair of threes, and the team appeared to be in rhythm offensively, converting 42.9% of their shots from deep in the first half. By the end of the third quarter, Miami had scored 103 points on 54.5% shooting and was firmly in control.
However, the offensive efficiency collapsed in the final period. The Heat managed just 21 points on 7-of-24 shooting (29.2%) and hit only one of their nine three-point attempts. Meanwhile, turnovers piled up—Miami gave the ball away 10 times in the second half, leading to 17 points for the Bulls. Tyler Herro, who finished with 23 points, struggled with his shot, going 5-of-15 from the field and 3-of-11 from beyond the arc, continuing a recent shooting slump.
Despite their offensive woes down the stretch, it was the Heat’s defense—or lack thereof—that ultimately sealed their fate. Chicago torched Miami for 133 points, shooting 52.7% from the field and an impressive 19-of-41 (46.3%) from three-point range. The Heat, who pride themselves on defensive intensity, failed to contain the Bulls’ attack, allowing four players—Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey, Coby White, and Ayo Dosunmu—to score over 20 points each.
Buzelis, the 11th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, had a breakout game, finishing with 24 points on a perfect 10-of-10 shooting night, including 4-of-4 from deep. Giddey matched him with 24 points, while White and Dosunmu contributed 22 and 21 points, respectively. Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, who has been the subject of trade rumors, also added 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Despite the offensive firepower, Heat center Bam Adebayo expressed frustration with the team’s inability to close out games.
“We put up 124,” Adebayo said postgame. “That’s enough to win in this league. It’s just sad we let the other side really cost us the game.”
Head coach Erik Spoelstra echoed the sentiment, pointing to defensive lapses as the main culprit.
“We were never able to really contain the ball regardless of what scheme we were in,” Spoelstra said. “That’s just a tough one. Our defense didn’t travel tonight, and we paid the price.”
Tuesday’s loss marked the seventh time this season that Miami has blown a double-digit second-half lead, dropping their record to 6-20 when allowing 110 or more points.
One bright spot for Miami was rookie center Kel’el Ware, who celebrated his Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award with another solid performance. Ware posted 17 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes, continuing his recent strong play. However, his plus/minus rating of -11 highlighted the team’s defensive struggles when he was on the floor.
Ware has quickly become a key piece for the Heat, earning consistent playing time after barely seeing the court in the first 25 games of the season. He has now played double-digit minutes in 23 straight games and started the last seven.
The Heat will have little time to dwell on this loss, as they travel to Philadelphia to face the 76ers on Wednesday night. The game will mark their ninth back-to-back set of the season, and Miami enters with a 5-3 record on the second night of such matchups. Fortunately, the Sixers will be without star center Joel Embiid, who logged heavy minutes in his return from injury against Dallas on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Miami continues to navigate trade rumors surrounding disgruntled star Jimmy Butler. With the NBA’s trade deadline fast approaching, the Phoenix Suns remain the most aggressive suitor for Butler, while the Golden State Warriors have also emerged as a potential destination.
With another tough loss on their record, the Heat must quickly regroup if they hope to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Wednesday’s matchup against Philadelphia offers a chance to bounce back, but if defensive issues persist, Miami could find itself in another difficult situation.
Check out LifeWalletSports.com to get connected with all of our NIL athletes and partnered brands
