In a pivotal matchup with playoff seeding implications, the Chicago Bulls emerged victorious over the Miami Heat with a score of 119-111 on Wednesday night. Central to Chicago’s triumph was the remarkable performance of Josh Giddey, who notched 28 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists, marking his seventh triple-double of the season—a career high.
This victory allowed the Bulls, currently ninth in the Eastern Conference standings with a 37-43 record, to move a game ahead of Miami. They are now within striking distance of the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks, just half a game away. In the play-in tournament, the ninth-placed team has the opportunity to host the 10th seed. The winner of this matchup will then face off against the loser from the contest between the seventh and eighth seeds.
The supporting cast for Chicago also played a vital role, with Kevin Huerter contributing 22 points, Nikola Vucevic adding 20 points alongside 11 rebounds, and Coby White chipping in with 18 points. Matas Buzelis rounded off a well-balanced attack with 17 points, facilitating the Bulls’ eighth win in the last 11 games. With this victory, they achieved a season sweep against Miami in three games.
Despite a strong stretch in which they won seven of their past 10 games following a ten-game losing skid, Miami struggled to overcome Chicago’s relentless attack. Tyler Herro led the charge for the Heat with an impressive 30 points, alongside contributions from Bam Adebayo with 18 points and Davion Mitchell with 17 points.
Andrew Wiggins, limited by a right hamstring injury which had kept him out for six games, returned to the Miami lineup, finishing with 14 points. His appearances have been sporadic, with participation in just 16 of Miami’s 31 games since joining from Golden State in the Jimmy Butler trade.
The game highlighted the strength of the Bulls, who managed to counteract the Heat’s resurgence. A key moment in the matchup came when Chicago regrouped amidst a Miami rally. After seeing their 14-point lead shrink to five, the Bulls responded decisively. Mitchell’s three-pointer for Miami brought them within reach at 100-95, but Giddey and the Bulls countered with a critical 10-2 run.
Giddey’s milestone of seven triple-doubles places him behind only Michael Jordan for the most in a single season by a Bulls player, with Jordan holding the franchise record of 15 from the 1988-89 season.
Looking ahead, the Heat will travel to New Orleans on Friday, while the Bulls prepare to host Washington for their final regular-season home game.