BREAKING: Bulls flip the script in Miami, rookie Matas Buzelis sparks shorthanded road win
The Heat held off Chicago in the first leg of this quick swing. Tonight in South Beach, the Bulls answered with grit and fresh legs. It was a reversal built on energy, poise, and a rookie who looked ready for the moment. I was on the floor as Chicago closed it out, the bench roaring as the final seconds ticked away. It felt like a midseason tone shift, not a one night blip.
A two game swing with bite
Two nights ago, Miami leaned on experience to survive in Chicago. The Heat were steady late, won the 50, 50 balls, and squeezed enough half court buckets. Chicago came back hungry. The Bulls arrived short on bodies, but long on belief. They ran harder, defended tighter, and kept their shape when Miami pushed.
This is why home and home tests matter. You can measure changes, not just outcomes. Coaching staffs lay down counters. Rotations bend. Young players either shrink or grow. In Miami, the Bulls grew.
Chicago’s defensive connectivity in the second half changed the game. Rotations were on time, hands were active, and transition defense held.
How Chicago flipped the rematch
The Bulls did not reinvent themselves. They sharpened what travels. Point of attack defense was cleaner. Help arrived early, then recovered without panic. On offense, they used pace after stops, and they trusted the extra pass. The ball found open shooters and cutters. The Heat’s switches did not stall the attack like they did in Chicago.
Matas Buzelis stepped into a larger role and looked calm 😂. Not cute calm, real calm. The rookie timed his cuts, spaced the corner, and stayed alert on the weak side. He hit timely shots, challenged drives at the rim, and played within the flow. His length bothered passing lanes. His confidence lifted veterans around him.
Miami still had bursts, led by their All Star big. The Heat tried to grind the tempo, set deep seals, and pound the glass. Chicago answered by fronting the post, sending quick digs, and rotating behind the play. Second chance points that hurt the Bulls in the first meeting were not as loud in this one.
Here were the three swing factors I saw courtside:
- Cleaner screen navigation, fewer straight line drives allowed
- Early offense after misses, quick hits before the Heat could match up
- Bench energy, led by Buzelis, turned loose balls into extra points
Chicago attacked the middle of the zone with cuts, not just dribble probes. That forced Miami’s wings to collapse, opening corner threes.
Bam vs the Bulls front line
Bam Adebayo was the axis again. He directed traffic on both ends, walling off the lane and triggering handoff actions. When Bam got touches at the nail, Miami’s offense flowed. Chicago’s counter was discipline. They crowded his face ups, shaded helpers toward his drives, and lived with kick out jumpers under pressure.
On the glass, the Bulls sent a guard down to crack back on Bam after the shot. That small detail mattered. It kept him from feasting on tip ins and quick putbacks. Offensively, Chicago targeted his space by bringing him up the floor in screening actions, then slipping out to test Miami’s back line rotations.
This was a chess match all night. Bam still had his moments, because stars do. But Chicago refused to let those moments turn into game long waves.
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Coaching adjustments, culture, and what this says
Heat Culture is about habits, toughness, and next man up. Chicago brought its own edge tonight. The Bulls trusted their depth, let the rookie play through small mistakes, and tightened the rotation late. The message was clear. Effort and detail, not names on the jersey, would decide this one.
I watched Chicago’s bench communicate every trip. Players called out switches, pointed to cutters, and celebrated the dirty work. That is contagious. On the Heat side, the discipline was still there. The issue was rhythm. Miami’s spacing folded in at times, and their shooters did not get comfortable pockets. Credit Chicago’s chases and contests without fouling.
Midseason trajectory
This split does more than even the week. It frames the next stretch for both teams.
- For Chicago, it proves the blueprint travels. Defend without fouling, run off misses, and give the rookie real minutes.
- For Miami, it reminds them to value the ball and the glass, especially when the offense slows late.
Both staffs will take film notes into practice. Expect Miami to rework some off ball screening to shake shooters free. Expect Chicago to keep pressing the pace with second units and continue to simplify reads for Buzelis.
The bottom line
The Heat struck first in Chicago. The Bulls hit back in Miami. That is the story of a tough home and home between two Eastern teams that expect to play in May. Chicago did it with defense, tempo, and a rookie whose poise matched the moment. Miami will adjust, because they always do. For now, the Bulls leave South Beach with a road win that feels bigger than one check in the standings.
