Tyler Herro scored 24 points and almost got a triple-double with his assists. Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. contributed 21 points as the Miami Heat secured the last spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs by defeating the Chicago Bulls 112-91 in a play-in tournament game on Friday night.
Kevin Love scored 16 points, and Bam Adebayo added 13 for Miami. Their reward is a rematch against the Boston Celtics in the first round, where they are expected to be significant underdogs. Miami will be missing Jimmy Butler due to a knee injury and Terry Rozier due to a neck injury.
Despite the absences, Miami dominated the Bulls with a 19-0 run in the first quarter and a 14-0 run in the second half.
Herro also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out nine assists. This win marks the second consecutive year that the Heat have eliminated the Bulls in the last play-in game in the East.
DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 22 points, while Nikola Vucevic contributed 16 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists. Coby White scored 13 points for Chicago.
Miami’s 19-0 run, matching their longest consecutive points streak of the season, propelled them to an early lead. Jaquez and Nikola Jovic combined for 11 points during this run, helping Miami build a 17-point lead after the first quarter and extend it to 20 points in the second quarter.
