Miami Heat Crush Bulls 109-90 in Play-In, Advance to Face Hawks

MIAMI — Tyler Herro torched the Chicago Bulls for 38 points, including 23 before halftime, powering the Miami Heat to a commanding 109-90 rout in an Eastern Conference play-in clash at the United Center on April 16, 2025. The No. 10 seed Heat (37-45) built a 71-47 halftime lead and never looked back, eliminating the ninth-seeded Bulls (39-43) for the third straight postseason and advancing to face the Atlanta Hawks.[1][2][3] Bam Adebayo contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Andrew Wiggins added 20 points and nine boards in a gritty Heat performance that flipped the script on Chicago's 3-0 regular-season sweep, capped by a 119-111 Bulls win just days prior.[1][4] The Bulls, led by Nikola Vucevic's 16 points and 12 rebounds, trimmed the deficit to 13 early in the fourth quarter but were stonewalled down the stretch, missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year.[1][3] For Miami, the win injects life into a rollercoaster season, with Herro's explosion signaling postseason potential as they head to State Farm Arena.[1][2] South Florida's basketball faithful, from Miami Beach to the Florida Keys, are rallying behind the Heat's underdog bid. Next up: a Friday showdown in Atlanta against the Hawks, who fell to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, for a chance to clash with top-seeded Cleveland in the first round.[1] Coach Erik Spoelstra's squad, known for resilience at Kaseya Center, aims to channel this momentum into a deep Eastern Conference run, keeping the playoff flame alive for Heat Nation.[2]