Miami won the victory thanks to the performances of Butler and Struss.
The Miami Heat won 102-91 against the Chicago Bulls in the 2022-2023 NBA Play-In Tournament held at the Miami-Dade Arena on the 15th (hereinafter Korean time스포츠토토).
Miami, which passed the play-in tournament after a lot of hard work, secured the 8th seed. Miami’s opponent in the first round of the playoffs is No. 1 seed Milwaukee. Chicago tried to advance to the playoffs for the first time in 10th place in the regular season, but was frustrated at the threshold.
Miami played a big role with Max Struss scoring 31 points, including 7 3-pointers. Jimmy Butler (31 points) showed off his distinct presence in the 4th quarter and saved the team from the seesaw game.
In Chicago, Derma DeRozan scored 26 points and Alex Caruso scored 16 points, but it was painful that Jack Lavin (15 points) suffered from hunting.
At the beginning of the game, the two teams faced off tightly with Struss and Caruso engaged in a fierce scoring battle. In the close match, Miami first scored with Bam Adebayo and Butler. Miami, who had the advantage, finished the first quarter with a score of 29-21.
Even at the beginning of the second quarter, Chicago, where DeRozan played an active role, caught up to the bottom of the chin with Caruso’s outer catcher. Then Miami did not back down easily, responding with Kyle Lowry and Strauss’ three-point shot. Struss and Tyler Hiro scored one after another to secure the lead, and Miami finished the second quarter 49-44.
Chicago, which had been dragged by Butler in the third quarter, pursued with scores from Vucevic and Lavin. Riding the tide, Chicago succeeded in turning the tables with Labin’s hot fast dunk. Miami, which had been shaken, counterattacked by adjusting the defense, and after a seesaw game, the third quarter ended with a score of 67-68.
The battle continued in the 4th quarter. Chicago, with DeRozan at the forefront, seemed to be going out, but Miami also turned the game around with Butler struggling. Chicago, which allowed the chase, changed the mood by putting in the outer gun again with Kobe White, who showed good shooting skills.
However, Chicago could hardly control Butler and was driven into a crisis. Miami, which Butler brought the flow, took a three-point lead with Adebayo’s free throw with 1 minute and 40 seconds remaining.
In the game, the joys and sorrows of both teams were properly mixed. In Miami, which is on the rise, the strauss shined. Strauss hit a 3-point shot and even got a free throw to bring victory to the team. On the other hand, Chicago’s defeat deepened as Rabin failed to score consecutively. Miami, who showed concentration at the crucial moment, won the victory after a close match.