NEWSLETTER
Just when you think the Bulls can’t find a more painful way to lose a ballgame … BOOM … there it is.
Heading into tonight, it didn’t feel like the Bulls had much of shot. The Heat stuck it to them only a couple of weeks ago at the United Center and the trajectory of each squad is plenty evident. And yet, the Bulls came out with a different edge this time around. In the first half of the game, the Bulls found themselves up by as much as 11 points. The offense was clicking and the defense continued to create turnovers.
However, with only a two-point lead at halftime, the second half was a back-and-forth affair. As the final seconds in the 4th ticked away, the Bulls were up 95-94 with a chance to steal the victory … and then Tyler Herro happened:
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1203850799404605440?s=20
Herro knocked down the clutch three, and the Bulls got the ball back with 7 seconds to go. LaVine drove aggressively to the hoop and drew the foul. He went to the line. He got the job done. The game went to overtime.
Oh, and then Tyler Herro kept happening.
Tyler Herro scored Miami's final 11 points of overtime, and 14 of their final 16 points overall.
— Jeff Mangurten (@JeffGurt) December 9, 2019
The Bulls couldn’t contain the rookie’s hot hand, and after the Bulls let up two key Miami offensive rebounds, he hit the dagger 3-pointer with 38.2 seconds to go.
WARNING: Video may induce a fit of rage which forces you to throw your device into Lake Michigan
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1203860786478628864?s=20
Once again, the Bulls didn’t look half bad throughout the majority of the game. Chicago shot better than Miami from the field and downtown, while also winning the points in the paint battle 40-38. They were able to keep up with the Heats explosive offense, as Lauri Markkanen stepped further out of his slump with 22 points and 7 rebounds. Markkanen has now scored 20 or more points in three of his last four games and has four 3-pointers in each of his last four.
Coby White did all he could with 11 points and a career-high 8 assists (PG Coby White!) off the bench. Meanwhile, Kris Dunn had arguably the best game of his season, with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals. Dunn had several huge defensive stops for this team down the stretch, but also made the Bulls’ most costly error, dropping off Herro to allow for the Heat’s open 3-pointer at the end of regulation.
The Bulls were definitely hurt by Zach LaVine’s 5-19 shooting performance from the field and an aggravating 1-8 from 3-point land. But the real difference-maker in this game was the free-throw line. The Heat went 35-44 from the line with Jimmy Butler owning a staggering 21 of those attempts. It’s always something new with this Bulls team.
While it’s nice to see the individual moments from certain players, this team still isn’t coming together. The crunch-time decision making is a constant worry, and I know this loss can be considered better than others, but the Bulls aren’t in a place where they can take moral victories. For an 8-16 squad who preached the playoffs from the beginning of the season, it’s hard to find anything that can be labeled as a quality loss.
Up next, the 15-7 Toronto Raptors … tomorrow night.
The Bulls are now 0-9 against teams with winning records this season.
— Jeff Mangurten (@JeffGurt) December 9, 2019
