After leading for almost the whole game, the Miami Heat would fall apart in the fourth quarter, giving up a much needed win to the Chicago Bulls.
Spotlight
Despite the loss, Jimmy Butler had yet another fantastic night, scoring 33 points with eight rebounds and five assists. Bam Adebayo (23 points) and Trevor Ariza (18 points) also played well. However, no one else scored in double figures for Miami.
Injury Update: Duncan Robinson left Monday’s game against the Bulls due to illness, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press reports. Robinson scored only three points in 26 minutes of action.
For the Bulls, Nikola Vucevic had yet another double-double (24 points and 11 rebounds). Daniel Theis also had a double-double, with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Coby White (17 points), Lauri Markkanen (12 points), Garrett Temple (10 points), and Thaddeus Young (10 points) also had good performances, to fill the void for Zach LaVine who went into the NBA’s health and safety protocol.
Key Takeaway
All season long, Jimmy Butler has talked about Miami’s inability to complete games how they want. Again, we see the result of that same situation. Miami can compete with any team in the league, but as of late, they can’t finish games how they want. Great defense is one thing, but sometimes it’s as simple as outscoring the other team. The Bulls did just that on Monday night.
“We didn’t guard the entire game,” Jimmy Butler said after Monday’s loss. “At the end we weren’t able to outscore them. It’s been like that all year long, honestly. I can’t tell you what team is going to show up.”
What’s Next for Miami?
April 28th vs. San Antonio Spurs (8:00 PM EST)
May 1st @ Cleveland Cavaliers (7:00 PM EST)