The Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls 102-91 in the NBA Play-In Tournament on April 14, 2023, to advance to the first round of the playoffs.
Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 23 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Bam Adebayo added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Max Strus scored 19 points off the bench.
DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 24 points, but he was held to just 4-of-19 shooting from three-point range. Zach LaVine added 16 points, and Nikola Vucevic had 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The Heat jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back. They led by as many as 21 points in the fourth quarter.
The Heat shot 46.2% from the field and 36.4% from three-point range. The Bulls shot 42.9% from the field and 26.3% from three-point range.
The Heat will face the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. The series will start on Saturday, April 16.
Here are some other notable things from the game:
- The Heat won their fifth straight game against the Bulls.
- The Heat improved to 10-2 in their last 12 games.
- The Bulls lost their third straight game.
- The Bulls were eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
- The Heat will make their 10th consecutive playoff appearance.