The final spot in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket will come down to a win-or-go-home contest between the Bulls and Heat.
Chicago managed to extend its season by defeating Toronto in Wednesday's Play-In Tournament game. The Bulls are hoping to reach the NBA Playoffs for just the third time in the past eight seasons.
Miami, meanwhile, is coming off an ugly loss to Atlanta, which captured the No. 7 seed on Tuesday. The Heat nearly advanced to the NBA Finals last year, so missing out on the playoffs entirely would be a massive disappointment for the franchise.
Will the Bulls or Heat meet the Bucks in the first round? Here's a breakdown of the Play-In Tournament matchup.
ALL-NBA TEAMS: TSN's Stephen Noh explains his picks
Bulls vs. Heat odds
Bulls: +5.5
Heat: -5.5
Over/under: 209
(Odds provided by DraftKings)
Bulls vs. Heat start time, TV channel
- Date: Friday, April 14
- Time: 7 p.m. ET | 4 p.m. PT
- TV channel: TNT
- Live stream: TNT app, Sling TV
Bulls vs. Heat will air on TNT. Viewers can also stream the game on Sling TV.
Fans in the U.S. can watch the NBA's biggest playoff games on Sling TV, which is now offering HALF OFF your first month! Stream Sling Orange for $20 in your first month to catch all the games on TNT, ESPN & ABC. For games on NBA TV, subscribe to Sling Orange & Sports Extra for $27.50 in your first month. Local regional blackout restrictions apply.
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Bulls vs. Heat 2022-23 regular season series
- Oct. 19, 2022: Bulls 116, Heat 108
- Dec. 20, 2022: Bulls 113, Heat 103
- March 18, 2023: Bulls 113, Heat 99
Chicago won all three of the regular season games against Miami, including a 113-99 victory last month. However, it's worth noting that there were key contributors missing from each game.
Zach LaVine was sidelined for the season opener, and Jimmy Butler, Kyle Lowry and Caleb Martin sat out the second game. Lowry also missed the third game, and Alex Caruso left with an injury after playing only 10 minutes.
Bulls vs. Heat key storyline: Bam Adebayo's impact
Abebayo earned the second All-Star selection of his career this season. He averaged more than 20 points per game for the first time and once again established himself as a strong All-Defensive team candidate.
But Adebayo hasn't been his usual self lately. His scoring (21.6 to 17.3) and field goal attempts (15.7 to 12.7) both dropped after the All-Star break, and he had just 12 points in the Play-In loss to the Hawks.
While he was far from the only problem in the first Play-In game, Adebayo clearly got outplayed by Clint Capela, who grabbed 21 rebounds (eight offensive) for Atlanta.
CC is doing it ALL pic.twitter.com/jzwXuPMkha
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) April 12, 2023
The Heat obviously need a better performance from Adebayo, but his teammates must also crash the boards when he is pulled away from the paint on switches and hit open looks in order to give him better scoring chances. Defenses have been sagging into the paint, clogging up Adebayo's rolling lanes and daring Miami's shooters to beat them.
If they can't punish Chicago from the outside, it could be a long night.
Bulls vs. Heat prediction
This one could be a rock fight. The Bulls and Heat are top-10 defensive teams and bottom-10 offensive teams, so NBA fans shouldn't expect a high-scoring affair.
The bet here is that LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and the Bulls will make enough plays down the stretch to survive and advance.
We'll give Chicago a slight edge because of its isolation brilliance.
