O Miami Heat is in the playoffs NBA. This Friday (19), even without Jimmy Butler, their main star, the Florida team asserted control on the court, dispatching the Chicago Bulls and with a victory from end to end, they beat their rivals by 112 to 91 and secured themselves as the 8th best campaign in the Eastern Conference.
The result places the Heat as opponents of Boston Celtics, which finished as the league’s best overall campaign. The first match between the teams takes place on Sunday (21), 2pm (Brasília time) and will have broadcast by ESPN on Star+.
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The duel will mark the reunion after a mind-boggling series last year. In the 2023 Conference Finals, the Heat beat the Celtics 4-3, after opening 3-0 in the series, allowing a draw, but confirming the East title and going to the NBA Finals, where they were defeated by Denver Nuggets.
This Friday, Miami completely dominated its rival, so much so that it ended the first quarter with double points: 34 to 17. Little by little, the Bulls found their way into the match, but went into the break 10 points behind.
Caleb Martin and Tyler Herro celebrate the Heat’s basket against the Bulls Eric Espada/NBAE via Getty Images
But the reaction was short-lived. The Heat opened a big lead again in the third quarter and went into the final quarter with a lead of 22 points: 82 to 60. The team not only managed it, but maintained the advantage to confirm the victory.
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The highlights of the night were rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr., with 21 points, Tyler Herro, with 24, and veteran Kevin Love, who contributed another 16. For the Bulls, Coby White, who had a monumental performance against Atlanta Hawks, this time he didn’t shine, finishing the game with just 13 points. DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic were the ones who saved themselves, but they did not avoid defeat and subsequent elimination.
Statistics:
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Tyler Herro: 24 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists
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Jaime Jaquez Jr.: 21 points and 6 assists