NBA Cup: How Bulls Crumbled against Heat
The Chicago Bulls came back home after impressive away wins in Denver and Portland, but everything fell apart on Friday as they were crushed 143–107 by the Miami Heat in an NBA Cup game.
With this second Cup defeat — and now a huge negative points difference — the Bulls are almost certainly out of the in-season tournament. Few people fully understand all the rules, but it was obvious how Miami once again outplayed the Bulls. The Heat used strong, physical defence and dominated the boards, winning the rebounding battle 53–39. They also grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and scored 26 second-chance points.
The game turned quickly. Miami started the second quarter up by four points, and within seven minutes they were ahead by 25. They led 70–52 at half-time and never looked back. The Heat even led by 41 points late in the game. Because points difference matters in the tournament, both teams kept playing hard until the end — even though the result was already clear.
“We need to start being the aggressive team,” said Josh Giddey, who finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. “Teams know they can attack us on the boards because we don’t box out. It’s not just the big guys — everyone has to be better.”
Giddey had to return to the game late in the fourth quarter despite the heavy deficit because Isaac Okoro, Dalen Terry and Matas Buzelis picked up injuries. Buzelis later returned. Kevin Huerter was ejected in the third quarter after throwing the ball towards a referee.
Ayo Dosunmu led the Bulls with 23 points, though 12 of those came in the fourth quarter as the Bulls ran out of guards. Coby White rested but will play against Washington on Saturday, when the Bulls also hold their Ring of Honor celebration.
Only two other Bulls scored in double figures: Jalen Smith with 14 and Jevon Carter with 10. Miami’s bench outscored Chicago’s 54–44, and eight Heat players scored at least 10 points.
The defeat was the worst possible setback after the Bulls’ promising start to the season. They are now 8–7, while the Heat have transformed their style, leading the league in scoring and improving to 10–6. The game resembled recent play-in meetings, where Miami physically overwhelmed the Bulls.
“I like competing against them because you learn a lot about your team,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. “Give them credit.”
Donovan noted that free throws made a huge difference. Miami attempted 44, compared with far fewer for Chicago. Combined with the offensive rebounds, this meant the Bulls rarely got fast-break opportunities.
He added: “We couldn’t keep the ball in front of us. They could. That was the difference.”
Donovan admitted his team is not built for physical battles. “We don’t have the luxury of playing that style. Miami can beat you off the dribble and win those one-on-one fights. That’s not who we are. We need ball movement and player movement.”
The Bulls also struggled with injuries. Buzelis limped off with an ankle issue on the first possession of the second half, though he returned. Nikola Vučević and Buzelis both finished with six points. Okoro hurt his back and needed treatment, while Terry went out with a calf injury. Patrick Williams fouled out, and Huerter was thrown out of the game after showing frustration at a foul call.
Huerter apologised afterwards, saying: “I didn’t mean to throw the ball at the official. I was frustrated with the call.”
Miami’s frontcourt of Bam Adebayo and Kal’el Ware caused major problems. Ware finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Chicago tried to create mismatches for Vučević, but Miami’s defence reacted too quickly. The Bulls shot just 12 of 43 from three-point range and struggled to pass inside, which slowed down their ball movement and forced them into isolation plays that do not suit their strengths.
“They beat us badly from the start,” Huerter said. “Their physical style hurt us. Every player on their team drives hard to the basket.”
For now, the Bulls will put this loss down as just one of 82 regular-season games.
