The Chicago Bulls’ season came to an end Wednesday night with a 109-90 loss to the Miami Heat in the NBA Play-In Tournament, and head coach Billy Donovan didn’t mince words afterward.
Speaking to reporters postgame, Donovan said the Bulls “didn’t play to our identity” and failed to execute in critical areas from the opening tip.
“I talked before the game about the turnovers,” Donovan said. “We had, I don’t know, 10 or 11 in the first half, and you give up 23 points—at this point in time, you can’t win like that.”
Tyler Herro led all scorers with 38 points on 13-of-19 shooting, and Donovan acknowledged that Miami capitalized on the same looks Herro missed in their previous meetings.
“Hero, last time we played here, had a really bad shooting night,” he said. “Tonight, he shot great in those same areas.”
The Heat stormed to a 71-47 halftime lead behind Herro’s 23 first-half points, while the Bulls struggled to contain dribble penetration and maintain defensive discipline.
“Our issue was controlling the basketball,” Donovan said. “Whether it was Mitchell, Hero, Wiggins—we couldn’t contain the ball. It wasn’t necessarily Kobe or Josh. It was everybody.”
Miami’s defense forced 17 turnovers and stifled Chicago’s offense in the halfcourt, forcing contested shots and keeping the Bulls out of rhythm.
Coby White shot 5-of-20 from the field for 17 points, while Josh Giddey led Chicago with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Donovan said White and Giddey had made “really good jumps” this season but stressed the need for a true centerpiece.
“You look at any great team—they have a guy that’s elite,” he said. “I’m not saying that guy has to be in the backcourt, but the guys you’re talking about, the All-Star-level ones, that’s something the front office will definitely evaluate in the draft and in free agency.”
Asked whether his team was prepared for the physical nature of the game, Donovan deflected.
“I didn’t think it was more physical,” he said. “The bigger issue was our turnovers and the kind of offense we generated. It wasn’t our usual identity.”
Despite the early playoff exit, Donovan emphasized his appreciation for the group’s effort during a turbulent season.
“It was incredibly rewarding for me to go to work with them every day,” Donovan said. “The result tonight wasn’t. But the season as a whole? Very rewarding.”
As for what’s next, Donovan confirmed he would speak with the players in exit meetings rather than immediately after the loss.
“I never like talking to the team right after a game like this,” he said. “We just didn’t play how we’ve been playing, identity-wise. That’s why it hurts so much.”
Miami moves on to face the Atlanta Hawks on Friday with the Eastern Conference’s No. 8 seed at stake.
