For the third consecutive year the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls will face each other in the play-in. The Heat has come out on top two times but the Bulls are coming into the game with plenty of more momentum. How will Miami cope without Jimmy Butler in this situation at the United Center in Chicago? The winner of the game will face the Atlanta Hawks on Friday for the last spot in the Eastern playoffs.
The Aussie Josh Giddey joined the Bulls in the offseason after a trade with OKC. The point guard has rejuvenated the city of Chicago when it comes to basketball. Giddey has brought some hope back to a city that has been starving out of a basketball perspective. The Chicago Bulls have won 17 out of their last 30 games and they are coming into the NBA Play-in full of belief and confidence. The Bulls finished at the 9th seed in the East with a record of 39 wins and 43 lost games. Their home record at the United Center is at 18-23.
Giddey has played his best ball of the season since the all star break. Over the prior 19 games Josh has averaged 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.3 dimes. The Bulls Head Coach, Billy Donovan, told NBA.com that Giddey has been managing a minor hand injury as of late. The 22 year old from Australia will be ready to go. The guard Lonzo Ball will miss the game according to Donovan. The Bulls won seven out of their last ten games in the regular season. Cobi White has been astonishingly good for The Bulls and he is complimenting Giddey very well in the backcourt of the Bulls. If both Giddey and White have a good game it will be hard for Miami to win it.
Butler helped out the Golden State Warriors to beat Memphis in the Western play-in with 38 scored points with seven boards and six dimes. The Heat has counted on Butler in situations like this many times before and will not be able to do it tonight. Who will step up for The Miami Heat? If anyone, it's likely to be the shooting guard Tyler Herro. The Kentucky alma matter made his first all star appearance of his career this season. The Heat has had a disappointing season to this point. They ended up as the 10th seed with a record of 37 wins and 45 loses. The road record is at 17-23.
Bam Adebayo is regarded as one of the best defensive big men in the NBA. Bam has always had a rough time guarding the center of the Chicago Bulls, Nikola Vucevic out of Montenegro. It goes back to the days when Vucevic played for the Orlando Magic. The head coach of the Miami Heat, Eric Spoelstra, could counter that by putting the rookie center Kel’el Ware to guard Vucevic. Who will Spoelstra have to guard Giddey? My Guess is that he will put Davion Mitchell on Giddey. So Mitchell is probably starting instead of the seasoned veteran Alec Burks for the Miami Heat. Pelle Larsson, Nikola Jovic and Kevin Love are questionable tonight. In the absence of the lost and gone Butler it’s time for Andrew Wiggins to step up For Miami. He has both the experience and the skills. But does he have the will to do it?
CHICAGO BULLS VS MIAMI HEAT
1.75
TOTAL (INCL OVERTIME) - OVER 217.5
