Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat (Game 2) – Starting Lineups, Injury News, How to Watch

In frustratingly unfamiliar fashion, the Miami Heat got the best of the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.

Leading the way for most of the evening, the Bulls were able to piece together a decent comeback effort that fell short in the final seconds. They shot just 39.0 percent against the Heat's physical defense, spearheaded by one of the worst first-half shooting performances in the paint that you will see this season. Chicago went just 9-25 from inside 15 feet over the first two quarters and finished the evening with just 38 points in the paint. Conversely, Miami cruised to 60 points.

Turnover troubles also proved to be a key difference-maker. Miami took full advantage of the extra possessions, turning the Bulls' mistakes into 23 points. While the Bulls were able to clean things up slightly in the second half, as well as do a better job forcing their way to the free throw line, sloppiness showed itself again in the final moments.

One would like to think that this group now knows what they can tweak for their second-straight meeting with Erik Spoelstra. But this also isn't expected to be the same group. With four games in five days, the Bulls are banged up and appear destined to be missing multiple key contributors.

How to Watch

Who: Chicago Bulls (23-25) at Miami Heat (26-23)
Where: Kaseya Center
When: 6:00 P.M. CT
Watch: Chicago Sports Network, FanDuel Sports Network Sun

Projected Starting Lineups

Chicago Bulls

1. Ayo Dosunmu
2. Kevin Huerter
3. Isaac Okoro
4. Matas Buzelis
5. Lachlan Olbrich

Miami Heat

1. Kasparas Jakučionis
2. Dru Smith
3. Pelle Larsson
4. Andrew Wiggins
5. Bam Adebayo

Injury News

Josh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls — Jan 24, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3)drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Baylor Scheierman (55)during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

While the Bulls were already planning to be careful with both Coby White and Josh Giddey this week, it appears Giddey's absence tonight could be due to a re-aggravation of sorts. Head coach Billy Donovan shared this week that he felt some hamstring tightness after the Bulls' loss to the Lakers. He apparently didn't deem it a full "setback," but it certainly feels like something worth monitoring, especially now that he will sit for his second consecutive game.

The Bulls have also officially ruled out Jalen Smith after he was forced to leave the team's last meeting with a calf injury. Smith has pieced together the strongest season of his career, offering Chicago some much-needed versatility in the frontcourt. Especially against a physical Heat frontcourt that just dominated Chicago inside, missing Smith's length and hustle could present a real issue.

Speaking of which, Chicago is also likely to sit Nikola Vucevic amid this jam-packed week. An extremely durable player who has appeared in 47 of 48 games, the Bulls are somewhat surprisingly expected to give him the night off. The same goes for Coby White, who just played in only his second back-to-back set of the season earlier this week. Experiencing calf issues throughout much of the year and one of Chicago's main trade chips, the Bulls will operate out of an abundance of caution.

So ... do you realize what this stuffed injury report could mean? IT'S YUKI MAGIC TIME!

Chicago Bulls Injury Report

Coby White – DOUBTFUL (injury management)
Nikola Vucevic – DOUBTFUL (rest)
Jalen Smith – OUT (calf)
Josh Giddey – OUT (hamstring)
Tre Jones – OUT (hamstring)
Zach Collins – OUT (toe)

Miami Heat Injury Report

Tyler Herro – OUT (ribs)
Norman Powell – OUT (personal reasons)
Davion Mitchell – OUT (shoulder)