Herro’s Heroics Lift Heat Past Bulls and Into Play-In Final

CHICAGO — The Miami Heat looked like a team on a mission Wednesday night, not one that limped into the Play-In Tournament with a 37-45 record. With their season on the line, the Heat played with urgency, intensity, and purpose from the opening tip, blowing past the Chicago Bulls 109-90 to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Tyler Herro set the tone and never looked back. He scored 23 of his 38 points in a scorching first half where he hit his first eight shots and led Miami to a commanding 71-47 halftime advantage. It was a performance that felt redemptive—not only for a frustrating season but for Herro himself, whose decision-making was questioned just a week ago in this very building after a late-game miss. On Wednesday, there was no doubt. He was the best player on the floor, playing free, confident basketball on both ends.

Miami never trailed in this game, building a lead as large as 25 and smothering the Bulls defensively. Bam Adebayo added 15 points and 12 rebounds, Andrew Wiggins scored 20 with nine boards of his own, and Davion Mitchell dished out nine assists alongside 15 points. Miami’s defensive pressure overwhelmed Chicago, producing 10 steals and seven blocks in a game that served as both payback for a regular season sweep and a statement about who the Heat still believe they can be.

For the Bulls, it was another crushing ending in the Play-In. Josh Giddey led Chicago with 25 points and 10 rebounds, but the team never found a rhythm. Coby White struggled to a 5-for-20 shooting night, and a late push that trimmed the deficit to 13 early in the fourth quarter fizzled quickly under the weight of Miami’s control.

It’s been a season of adversity for the Heat, defined as much by what happened off the court as on it. The Jimmy Butler standoff and his trade to Golden State. The 10-game losing streak that followed. A roster trying to find chemistry and identity while sliding down the standings. But through all the chaos, the Heat have remained resilient.

Head coach Erik Spoelstra acknowledged as much afterward, reminding everyone that the job is only half done. “We didn’t have the luxury of just needing one win to get in,” he said. “But guys put everything into this. I feel like we’re starting to build something.”

Herro echoed the sentiment. “Season hasn’t gone the way we wanted,” he said. “But we’re super resilient. A bunch of guys put their hard hats on and go to work. We came out in attack mode. Now one more to go just to get into the playoffs. Job’s not done.”

That next step comes Friday night in Atlanta, where Miami will battle the Hawks for the No. 8 seed and a first-round meeting with top-seeded Cleveland. The Heat know it won’t be easy, but Wednesday’s performance reminded everyone why this franchise can never be counted out.

Whatever happens next, the Heat earned their moment under the lights in Chicago. After a season where so much went wrong, they finally had a night where everything came together.

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