The Chicago Bulls are back home at the United Center on Wednesday night, hosting the Miami Heat with tip-off set at 8:00 PM EST. Both teams walk in needing a response after blowout losses that raised more questions than answers.
The Bulls sit tenth in the East at 17-20, but the direction has not felt good lately. The Bulls have dropped three straight and five of their last ten, capped by a 108-93 loss against the Detroit Pistons.
The Heat is eighth at 20-17, though stability has been just as elusive. The Heat have also gone 5-5 over their last ten games and are coming off a rough 122-94 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Bulls will be without Josh Giddey, who has quietly been the engine of their offense and rebounding, averaging 19.2 points, 8.9 boards, and 9.0 assists. That means Coby White has to step up, as he is averaging 18.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.
Norman Powell continues to lead the way for the Heat, averaging 24.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. Tyler Herro has been great since coming back from injury, averaging 22.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.
The Heat have already won the first matchup of the season between the two teams, beating the Bulls 143-107 on November 21st.
Injury Report
Bulls
Zach Collins: Out (Right toe sprain)
Noa Essengue: Out (Left shoulder surgery)
Josh Giddey: Out (Left hamstring strain)
Jalen Smith: Out (Concussion)
Yuki Kawamura: Out (G-League)
Kevin Huerter: Questionable (Right low back tightness)
Heat
Jahmira Young: Out (G-League)
Terry Rozier: Out (Not with team)
Vladislav: Out (G-League)
Jaime Jaquez Jr.: Probable (Right ankle sprain)
Bam Adebayo: Available (Lower back soreness)
Tyler Herro: Available (Right big toe contusion)
Keshad Johnson: Available (Low back spasms)
Nikola Jovic: Out (Left groin contusion)
Pelle Larrson: Available (Right ankle sprain)
Norman Powell: Available (Right hamstring strain)
Dru Smith: Available (Right elbow soreness)
How The Bulls Have The Advantage?
Home court is the Bulls’ clearest advantage. They are 10-9 at the United Center, which is not dominant, but it is meaningfully better than their road form.
The Heat, meanwhile, is just 7-11 away from home and has had stretches where emotional games bleed into the next night. The Bulls also have enough individual shot makers to keep things interesting if the pace slows.
How The Heat Have The Advantage?
The Heat’s edges are more dependable. The Heat owns the fifth-best defensive rating in the league, and that identity usually travels. Erik Spoelstra teams rarely stack poor defensive performances, and after being embarrassed by the Timberwolves, the expectation is a locked-in response.
The Heat also holds a 12-10 conference record and already dismantled the Bulls earlier this season.
X-Factors
For the Bulls, the weight lands squarely on Nikola Vucevic. His 16.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists are not optional production. They are necessary. The Bulls need him to score efficiently, command attention inside, and punish the Heat when mismatches appear.
Matas Buzelis has been one of the few steady positives in a difficult season. Averaging 14.4 points and 5.4 rebounds, he already looks like someone the Bulls can build around. His length, smooth shooting stroke, and comfort attacking off the dribble give the Bulls a scorer who does not need the offense bent around him to be effective.
Ayo Dosunmu becomes even more important with Josh Giddey out. At 14.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, his job is to pressure defenses while keeping the offense organized. When he gets downhill under control, the Bulls look functional.
Then there is Tre Jones, quietly one of the Bulls’ most stabilizing presences. His 12.1 points and 5.3 assists reflect what he brings every night. Structure, tempo control, and calm. In a game where the Bulls will need discipline as much as shot-making, Jones’ role may end up being larger than it looks on paper.
For the Heat, everything still flows through Bam Adebayo. He is the Heat’s connective tissue, the player who makes everything else make sense. The numbers are solid at 16.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, but they only tell part of the story. Bam sets the tone defensively, switches onto guards without blinking, protects the rim when needed, and steadies the offense when possessions start to wobble.
Next to him, Jaime Jaquez Jr. keeps proving that last season was not a fluke. At 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists, he has settled into the role of problem solver. Jaquez cuts with purpose, reads the floor quickly, and never looks rushed, even when the game tightens.
Andrew Wiggins adds another layer as a steady two-way presence, giving them 15.9 points and 4.8 rebounds while taking on difficult defensive matchups. His athleticism lets the Heat stay aggressive on the perimeter without scrambling itself out of position.
Off the bench, Kel’El Ware has quietly shifted games. His 12.3 points and 10.6 rebounds give the Heat real rim pressure with the second unit, and his energy can change the feel of a game in a hurry, especially against thinner frontcourts that struggle to match physicality.
Prediction
In the end, this feels like a game decided by structure and urgency. The Bulls are undermanned and searching for consistency, while the Heat is coming off a humiliating loss with most of its core available. Over 48 minutes, the Heat’s defense, experience, and depth should separate.
Prediction: Bulls 102, Heat 116
