The short-handed Miami Heat took on the equally under-manned Chicago Bulls on Saturday, December 11.
Before the 7 p.m. tip-off, the Heat announced that Jimmy Butler would remain sidelined due to his tailbone injury. Caleb Martin, who had been filling in as a starter for the injured superstar, was ruled inactive and entered the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols before the contest; his status to rejoin the Heat is currently unknown, but he is likely to miss another game or two. With all of their injuries, the Heat welcomed a crippled Bulls team to the FTX Arena to conclude their three-game homestand.
Recap
With the home crowd behind them, the Heat got off to a blistering start; they finished the first quarter with a 39-25 lead. Miami rode that momentum into the break and found themselves up 65-52 at halftime. Outscoring Chicago in the third and fourth quarter by three and ten points, respectively, ensured an easy home win for Miami. The blowout ended with a score of 118-92 in favor of the home team.
While the Heat’s free throw rate remains low (only 7/9 tonight), their 3-pointers remain red-hot! After connecting on 22 attempts against the Bucks on Wednesday, the Heat sank 19/43 (44.2%) from beyond the arc on Saturday against the Bulls. Duncan Robinson (5/9) and Kyle Lowry (4/5) led the barrage of triples. Lowry also dished out 14 assists while only committing a pair of turnovers. Gabe Vincent slid into the starting lineup and racked up eight points, eight assists, and four steals. Starting Center Dewayne Dedmon rounded out the impressive win with his best game of the season. Dedmon poured in 20 points (8/13 FG, 2/2 3PT) and collected 12 rebounds. Every starter for the Heat finished at +16 or better on the night.
Chicago, who only connected on 31/83 (37.3%) of their field goals, could not find any rhythm against a smothering Miami defense. All-Star Guard Zach LaVine carried much of the offensive load for the Bulls; he dropped 33 points (11/20 FG, 7/11 3PT), hauled in seven boards, and dropped four dimes in his 37 minutes of action. He was the only starter for Chicago that connected on at least 50% of his shots; every Bulls starter ended with a negative plus/minus score.
Up Next
The Heat hit the road for a four-game road trip against a slough of Eastern Conference opponents. Their next venture will be against the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Monday, December 13. Miami will look to prolong its winning ways and continue to rise up the Eastern Conference standings.
The Bulls return home for a one-game homestand against the Detroit Pistons, who are currently sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The game tips at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, December 14.
(Featured image by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)