Miami leads 71-47 over Chicago at the break
The Heat got off to a hot start and didn’t slow down as they put together one of their best offensive halves of the year at an opportune time. Miami shot 58.7 percent from the floor and 55.6 percent from deep to storm out to a 24-point lead on the road.
Tyler Herro has been the story thus far on a perfect shooting half. He has 23 points on 8-8 FG, 3-3 3Pt, and 4-4 FT. Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins also scored in double figures in the first half.
The pressure is now on the Bulls to make a major comeback in front of the home crowd and keep their season alive.
MAKE THAT 8/8 FOR 23 PTS 🙌
Herro showing up in the must-win game! https://t.co/qlS2P3UhLX pic.twitter.com/mZzPpqgoXT
— NBA (@NBA) April 17, 2025
👀 Play of the night (so far)
Miami’s Tyler Herro (23 Pts) still hasn’t missed from the floor or the line tonight but perhaps his most impressive play was this laserbeam to Kel’el Ware in transition for the easy flush.
Herro threads the needle with a BULLET for the Kel’el Ware dunk 🔥@MiamiHEAT cooking so far in this one 😤 pic.twitter.com/k0uH3cRARS
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 17, 2025
We need another angle. Luckily we have one.
“WATCH HIS EYES”
Herro threading the needle in #SoFiPlayIn action on ESPN 👀 pic.twitter.com/T7G0Rbjm7Z
— NBA (@NBA) April 17, 2025
😂 QB1 finds his target
Chicago Bears’ quarterback, Caleb Williams, is in the house to support the Bulls tonight. One fan got quite the souvenir from Williams as he launched one from courtside to way upstairs. We’re not sure if the T-shirt cannon could have reached that section, but Williams could.
Caleb Williams LAUNCHED this 🚀@ChicagoBears @CALEBcsw pic.twitter.com/3HI55xaMfu
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) April 17, 2025
🚨 Bulls’ Buzelis: Buzzer Beater
Say that five times fast
Bulls rookie, Matas Buzelis, just got it off in time to beat the buzzer at the end of the first quarter and give the Bulls a boost.
As close as it can get 😰 https://t.co/1oFgVYRHG8 pic.twitter.com/fhnzjEGhwH
— NBA (@NBA) April 17, 2025
🦸♂ Herro putting on the cape
Miami’s Tyler Herro turned in a terrific first quarter to help fuel a 39-25 lead over the Bulls. Herro went for 16 points on a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor while also adding two assists.
The Heat shot 60.9 percent from the floor as a team and went 6-for-9 from deep to jump out to the early advantage.
TYLER HERRO CATCHING FIRE IN THE 1ST 🔥
16 PTS, 6-6 FGM in #SoFiPlayIn action on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/F7bPWB7OL1
— NBA (@NBA) April 17, 2025
Josh Giddey led the way in the scoring column for the Bulls with 13 first-quarter points. Tune into ESPN now to catch the second quarter.
😤 Bam Slam
Miami’s Bam Adebayo has just two points thus far but we’re awarding some additional style points for this jam in traffic.
The Heat have opened a 19-10 lead as we reach the midway point of the first quarter.
Herro ➡️ Bam for the slam early 😤#SoFiPlayIn on ESPN pic.twitter.com/nSgeRWhCX6
— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2025
🐂 Bulls vs Heat preview
The Bulls and Heat are battling to keep their seasons alive tonight at the United Center. The winner will advance to the Play-In final, where they will play the Hawks on Friday. View the SoFi Play-In Bracket to see the entire playoff picture.
The Bulls went 3-0 vs the Heat this season with the most recent matchup coming April 9, when Chicago won 119-111 at the United Center. Their average margin of victory against the Heat was 7.33 points, so each game was competitive.
Check out our full Bulls vs Heat preview for more matchup info before tip.
👑 Kings vs Mavericks preview
In the nightcap, the Kings and Mavericks will play in an elimination game where the winner advances to play the Grizzlies on Friday and the loser will have their season come to a close.
The Kings won all three games against the Mavericks and all of them had markedly different results. Sacramento throttled Dallas 122-98 in the most recent matchup but the Mavs were without Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving tore his ACL early in that contest. The second meeting went to overtime and the first meeting was all the way back in December, when the Kings won by 10.
Both teams went 6-9 over their last 15 games of the regular season. Both teams are used to playing close games, too. The Kings ranked 5th in the NBA with 42 games that qualified as clutch situations while the Mavericks ranked ninth with 40 such games.
Check out our Kings vs Mavericks preview for a full matchup breakdown before things get underway at 10 ET on ESPN.
📰 Top NBA storylines tonight
- SoFi Play-In Tournament Continues: After an exciting first night in which the Magic and Warriors locked up playoff spots, Wednesday night’s action features a pair of elimination games.
- Heat vs Bulls tips off the action: The Bulls (No.9 Seed) host the Heat (No.10) in an elimination game to get things started tonight. Chicago swept the season series between these two but the Play-In is a whole new ballgame.
- Kings vs Mavs in the nightcap: The Kings are looking to light the beam and keep their season alive while the Mavericks look to turn things around after dropping four of their last five to finish the regular season.
