Heat Defeat Bulls, Advance in NBA Play-In

The Miami Heat eliminated the Chicago Bulls from playoff contention with a 109-90 win in the NBA Play-In Tournament, led by Tyler Herro's 38 points. Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins both contributed double-doubles for Miami, while the Bulls' recent standouts, rookie Matas Buzelis and trade acquisition Kevin Huerter, were unable to offset the Heat's dominant performance. Buzelis finished his rookie season strongly and is a candidate for the NBA's all-rookie team, while Huerter saw increased production following his trade from Sacramento. Miami's victory avenged a regular-season sweep by the Bulls and demonstrated their resurgence after late struggles. The Heat will face the Atlanta Hawks for the No. 8 seed and a first-round matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Bulls have now missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons.