The Miami Heat walked into a buzzsaw on Saturday evening, heading into the Chicago Bulls’ United Center to face off against a hungrier-than-expected Bulls unit. After a double overtime matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, it was suspected that the Chicago Bulls might be a bit fatigued heading into the contest.
However, that was not the case, as the Chicago Bulls came right out, and proceeded to jump on the Miami Heat. To get right to it and by halftime, the Bulls would take a 25-point lead on the Heat.
But the Heat would be able to walk the Chicago Bulls down, as the shooting had to swing back the other way. Pulling back to within three points late in the game, the Miami Heat had an opportunity to seize what would have been one of the biggest comebacks of the year for them.
However, they just couldn’t do it, as soon as they were able to get back to three, the Bulls pushed it back out to double digits with quickness.
The Miami Heat dug themselves a massive first-half hole on Saturday night. And though they made a strong comeback bid, they couldn’t get it done in the end.
At the end of the day, it’s a tough loss for the Miami Heat.
They should’ve been looking to go in and get a win over a beatable Bulls squad on the second night of a back-to-back, where that first game was of the double overtime variety, which would have allowed them to climb further up the standings than they are.
With them now being a team subject to the second leg of a back-to-back set on Sunday, the Miami Heat will now travel to the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to face a Pistons team that blew them out a couple of months back.
That may not be such a bad thing though, as the squad won’t take them lightly because of that. But atop of the loss when they had a chance to climb the standings, there is something else that sticks out about this Heat defeat.
In his much-anticipated return, Omer Yurtseven has found himself in Coach Spo’s doghouse, it seems. Being benched in favor of Haywood Highsmith in the second half, it’s something to continue to monitor.
Again, the Miami Heat should look to get some rest, so that they may do it all over again on Sunday but this time, hoping for a better result.