Bulls secure lottery pick, odds remain slim

The Chicago Bulls’ season came to a disappointingly familiar conclusion on Wednesday night, as they once again fell to the Miami Heat in the NBA’s play-in tournament.

As reported by Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune, this marks the third consecutive year that the Bulls have seen their playoff hopes dashed in the play-in round, and this particular loss was never really competitive.

Miami took control early and never looked back, riding a dominant offensive performance to an easy victory.

Poe highlights that the Heat erupted for 39 points in the opening quarter and followed it up with another 32 in the second, effectively dismantling Chicago’s intended strategy of using transition offense to gain an edge.

The Bulls were repeatedly forced to inbound the ball after Miami’s made baskets, which prevented them from pushing the tempo.

The Heat’s red-hot shooting from beyond the arc played a major role, as they knocked down 10 three-pointers in the first half alone, racing out to a commanding 24-point halftime lead.

Though the United Center crowd showed some energy during a brief fourth-quarter rally that saw the Bulls trim the deficit to 13, the momentum was short-lived. Miami quickly responded with another scoring run that sealed the outcome and extinguished any remaining hope of a comeback.

Finishing the season with a 39-43 record, the Bulls posted their worst performance in four years, according to Poe.

While the loss does secure a lottery pick for Chicago in this year’s draft, the chances of landing one of the top four selections are extremely slim, offering little consolation for a team stuck in a cycle of frustration and underachievement.