Miami Heat comeback bid falls short in loss to Chicago Bulls

The Miami Heat’s winning streak was snapped by the Chicago Bulls on Monday afternoon.

Coming in having won seven consecutive games, the Miami Heat have thrust themselves into a perfect position to swipe one of the Eastern Conference’s top four playoff spots.

Just one game behind the defending conference champions (Cleveland Cavaliers) in the standings, the Heat travelled north to Chicago for a matchup with the lowly Bulls on Monday. Needless to say, the afternoon did not go as planned.

Despite 22 points and nine assists from Goran Dragic, 21 points and eight rebounds from Kelly Olynyk and 20 points off the bench from Wayne Ellington, the Heat struggled to score for much of the night, falling to the Bulls 119-111.

Justin Holiday led Chicago with 25 points, followed by Zach LaVine with 18 in just his second appearance with the team.

Right from the game’s opening tip, fans at the United Center witnessed a rejuvenated home team; the Bulls raced out to a 13-7 lead before rattling off a 9-0 run that would put them up 24-15, with 2:57 remaining in the first period.

Heading into the second quarter, Chicago had both a seven-point lead and all the momentum. Both teams wound up trading blows to start things off, with Miami answering every haymaker the Bulls attempted to throw their way.

At one point, the Heat even held a five-point lead. But a 14-2 burst from Chicago gave the Bulls a 55-48 advantage heading into the intermission, capped off by LaVine’s four-point play with .9 to play in the half.

"“It was pretty disgusting basketball,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We were up five and then all of a sudden we’re going to the locker room and it’s down seven.”"

Heading into the second half, the Bulls would retain that momentum, leading by as much as 19 during the third period, as they outscored the Heat 29-24 during that span. The crowd was in an uproar and it seemed like Chicago would cruise its way to an easy victory.

The fourth quarter would tell a different story.

While the Bulls entered the period with a 12-point lead, a 14-4 Heat run would cut the lead to five with 3:39 to play. That would be the closest Miami would get, as Lauri Markkanen knocked down his 100th 3-pointer of the season, giving Chicago an eight point lead that they would not relinquish.

For Miami, it was an unusually poor performance on the offensive side of the ball, and in the end, their poor shooting from beyond-the-arc (12-for-36) cost them dearly. When speaking to reporters following the game, Josh Richardson felt that their shooting from that distance was one of their key downfalls.

"“We weren’t communicating very well, Richardson said. “And we were not giving them enough static on the 3-point line.”"

To make matters worse, Tyler Johnson was carted off the floor in a wheel chair after tumbling to the ground hard during the third period, when he was in clearly visible discomfort.

"“I was scared,” Richardson said of Johnson’s injury. “You never want to see a guy whether it’s on your team or the other team down like that.”"

The Heat (25-18) still remain within striking distance of the Cavaliers for the East’s third spot, with an upcoming schedule that includes matchups with the Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Hornets and Houston Rockets.

Next: The Miami Heat edge out the Milwaukee Bucks, 97-79

For a team looking to climb higher in the Eastern standings, it will be a critical stretch for the Heat, as the season is now past its unofficial midpoint.