CHICAGO -- Winners of three straight and seven of their last 10 games to end the regular season, the Chicago Bulls headed to the play-in tournament with a gust of momentum and a full head of steam.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be an undelivered promise, a tantalizing tease that brought their long-suffering fan base down to its knees yet again.
For the third straight year, the Miami Heat eliminated the Bulls from playoffs contention, capping the trifecta with a 109-90 beatdown at the United Center on Wednesday night (Thursday AM in Manila).
On paper, it's hard to differentiate the ninth-seeded Bulls from No.10 Miami, but when both teams started playing for the chance to advance for a playoffs spot, it was clear what separated both.
"You look at every great team, they have 'a guy' that's really, really elite/ And a lot of times it's in the backcourt," Bulls coach Billy Donovan told reporters at his post-game press conference.
BULLS DIDN'T HAVE A HERRO TO SAVE THEM.
Interpretation: The Heat had that elite player in Tyler Herro. The Bulls didn't have anyone close.
Just 25 years young, Herro already has a stuffed trophy case. The Sixth Man of the Year winner in 2022, he blossomed into an All-Star this year and was crowned the 3-point king during the 2025 All-Star Weekend.
The Bulls couldn't handle his smoke.
The 6-foot-5, 195-lb. guard out of blue blood program Kentucky abused his defenders for 38 points on a sizzling 13-of-19 shooting. Andrew Wiggins added 20 while Bam Adebayo pitched in 15 and 12 boards to make matters worse for Chicago.
In a city known for its broad shoulders and bringing a lunch pail to work mentality, the manner with which the Bulls lost -- a pathetic lack of effort and fight --- was a colossal disappointment.
They gave up 71 points at the half where they trailed by 24. They were outrebounded 45-38 and they produced only 15 assists against the Heat's 30. The Bulls also coughed up more turnovers, 17-15.
HOMECOURT EDGE DIDN'T HELP.
Despite playing on their home floor, with 21,380 fans rallying behind them, the Bulls couldn't hit the iron, missing 50 of their 83 shots (39.8 percent) including a lame 10-of-37 clip from 3 (27 percent).
Coby White had a great regular season where he averaged 20.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per in 74 games. He eclipsed the 30-point plateau seven times and logged a career-high 216 made 3s.
But when it came time to carry the Bulls past a known nemesis, White came up egregiously short. Although he tallied 17 points and five dimes, the stingy Heat defense held him to 5-of-20 shooting while harassing him into seven turnovers.
Once thought to be the next face-of-the-franchise to whom the keys of the offense will be given to, that is now a giant question mark.
Josh Giddey, the point guard of the future, acquitted himself well with 25 points, 10 rebounds and four assists while hitting 9-of-21 field goals. But his defense, his known Achilles heel, didn't turn any heads.
Just like last year, the Bulls finished the regular season with a 39-43 record before flaming out against the Heat in the play-in tournament.
It's a repeat performance a loyal fan base doesn't deserve,
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