The Chicago Bulls will host the Miami Heat tonight in the first of two games they must win to qualify for the 2025 NBA Playoffs. If they can get past Miami, the same squad they’ve lost to in the previous two play-in tournaments, the Atlanta Hawks would be the final hurdle to playoff contention. Chicago swept the regular season series against the Heat, winning all three games since February and all three within ten points. What will the Bulls need to do to keep their improbable run alive, and who has to lead the charge in the United Center?
Josh Giddey Must Cement His Status As “The Guy”
Newcomer Josh Giddey is the most essential player in tonight’s first game toward postseason aspirations. When he’s firing on all cylinders, playmaking, knocking down the three-point shot, defending, and rebounding, the Chicago Bulls are difficult to beat. Their last two losses saw Giddey shoot a combined 9-for-27 from the field, including 1-of-8 from three-point land and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe. He averaged 11.5 points, 7.0 assists, and 8.0 rebounds per outing. Over the final three games of the regular season, where Chicago was 3-0 in crucial matchups for play-in seeding, Giddey shot nearly 50% from the field, almost 40% from deep, reached the free-throw line seven times per night, and boasted a stat line of 22.0 points, 10.3 assists, and 15.0 rebounds. Chicago is an immensely different and improved product when their young point guard plays to his potential.
Josh Giddey in 3 games vs. Heat this season:
26.0 PPG
10.3 RPG
10.0 APG
58.3% FG
53.3% 3FGBulls swept the season series.pic.twitter.com/DfKjvUQ3L0
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 16, 2025
With a stellar performance tonight, Giddey can officially win over the entire Chicago fanbase and keep their postseason hopes alive.
Nikola Vucevic Must Punish Miami’s Lack Of Size
Chicago’s veteran center quietly had one of his best seasons with the franchise. While all the chatter was about rookie Matas Buzelis, new addition Josh Giddey, and Coby White’s continued emergence, Vucevic slid under the radar but was one of the most stable and irreplaceable pieces on the Bulls. He averaged 16.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game against Miami this season, including knocking down two threes in each contest. Bam Adebayo stands 6’9″, and Kel’el Ware is 7’0″; one is undersized, and the other inexperienced, meaning Vucevic will have plenty of opportunities to thrive.
Nikola Vucevic's 2024-25:
18.5 ppg (his best as Bull)
10.1 rpg
3.5 apg (his best as Bull)
53% FG (career high)
40.2 3PT% (career high)— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) April 13, 2025
While he’s never been a stellar defensive center, limiting Ware’s offensive rebounds and Adebayo’s shots around the rim will also be important in tonight’s matchup. Can Vucevic win over the Chicago crowd again and help advance them to the next stage?
Three-Point Shooting
This season, the Chicago Bulls have often been made or broken by their performance beyond the three-point arc. With a flurry of somewhat inconsistent three-point threats, the result depends on how well the shots fall. Coby White and Josh Giddey’s playmaking has proven pivotal for the surrounding assets, and with seven players who fire three or more attempts from deep per night, the Bulls will rely on them to distribute open looks.
Kevin Huerter was cooking on the road 🔥@KevinHuerter | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/XODvhVXrnF
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 25, 2025
The Bulls enter tonight as two-point favorites at home. Can they pull off yet another unexpected victory tonight, or will their offseason begin in a few hours?
