3 Keys: Can Chicago Bulls Avoid Another Lopsided Disaster Against the Miami Heat?

One night after playing the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls return to the United Center to face the team that handed them their worst loss of the season.

The Miami Heat dismantled the Bulls in November, cruising to a stunning 143-107 lead. They come into tonight's contest a tad cooled off with a 5-5 record in their last ten games. Still, this group has what it takes to give the Bulls some serious trouble, so let's take a look at three things the Bulls must do to avoid another lopsided disaster.

Take Care of the Basketball

Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls — Nov 21, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) reacts during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat come into the night with a Top 5 defense. They have been particularly good at forcing teams into mistakes, sitting fourth in the NBA in opponent turnovers and fourth in the NBA in points scored off those turnovers.

In their last meeting with Chicago, the Bulls coughed it up 18 times and allowed 22 points off those errors. Meanwhile, the Bulls were only able to turn Miami's 10 turnovers into a mere 6 points. Taking care of the basketball is going to be essential, particularly when we consider that the Heat are at their best when they can create a full head of steam in transition.

For what it's worth, the Bulls have been doing a decent job of limiting their turnovers despite the absence of their two lead guards. They committed 13 or fewer turnovers in four straight games before slipping against Detroit's similarly stiff defense on Wednesday night. The Bulls were actually doing a pretty good job against the Pistons' ball pressure, but they lost all control when it mattered most. The Pistons forced five turnovers in the fourth quarter and held the Bulls to 6-18 shooting from the field.

Scoring on Bam Adebayo and Company is going to be hard enough, so the fewer extra possessions and fastbreak opportunities they give Miami, the better.

Prepare to Run

Tre Jones of the Chicago Bulls — Nov 21, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Chicago Bulls guard Tre Jones (30) during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Only two teams in the NBA have recorded a higher PACE than Chicago this season: The Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks. And tonight's opponent sits first on the leaderboard.

Erik Spoelstra has completely reinvented this team's identity, establishing a lightning-quick tempo that leads to over 120 points per game. They average the second-most fastbreak points a night (18.2) and the third-most points in the paint (54.9). Of course, their ability to play this brand of basketball is directly tied to their defensive execution. The more turnovers they're creating, the more open floor they see in front of them. The more shots rattle off the rim, the less they have to take it out from underneath the basket.

The good news for the Bulls is that playing fast is also their bread-and-butter. They shouldn't necessarily experience the same tired legs that other teams are used to against this group. Coby White is also expected to return to the floor tonight after sitting against Detroit as a precaution. Having his speed back in the mix should be a good thing.

At the same time, the absence of Josh Giddey has led to a pretty significant difference in how quickly this team gets up and down the floor. The Bulls have seen their PACE drop to 23rd in the NBA over their last five games without their lead guard (and two mobile big men).

They did at least look a little closer to their former self against the Pistons last night, outscoring them 20-11 in fastbreak points and using their speed to reclaim the lead in the third quarter. Nevertheless, Miami is one of the worst teams you can play on the backend of a back-to-back. The Bulls have to keep their foot on the gas.

With that in mind, could we possibly see Ayo Dosunmu remain in the starting lineup tonight? One of the team's best transition threats and arguably best backcourt defenders, he finished with a team-high 24 points on 10-15 shooting from the field.

Limit the Fouling

Kevin Huerter of the Chicago Bulls — Nov 21, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Kevin Huerter (13) reacts after being ejected from the game against the Miami Heat during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

I was hesitant to make this one of the keys, but I think we have to after "The Great Free Throw Tragedy" of November 12.

The Chicago Bulls lost by 36 points despite draining only two fewer threes than the Heat and losing the points in the paint battle by 6. How is that possible? Yes, turnovers were a big issue, as were second-chance points. But the biggest disparity came at the free throw line. The Miami Heat shot an opponent season-high 44 attempts, knocking down 35.

Chicago even had one of their better games at forcing whistles! They went a decent 21-28 at the free throw line but still ended up a -14. On the one hand, there is no question that the Heat got a crazy number of calls, and I have a hard time believing that will happen again at the United Center. On the other hand, the Bulls' defense continues to rank near the bottom of the NBA. They stink at handling physicality and could easily find themselves hacking away as they try to keep up with this fast and downhill Miami defense.

I'm especially concerned after watching Lachlan Olbrich struggle with five fouls last night. With no Jalen Smith or Zach Collins available, the second-round rookie has been thrust into a big reserve role. How is he going to handle a physical Bam Adebayo and a towering Kel'el Ware? The only other option the Bulls have is to go small with Patrick Williams or Matas Buzelis at the five, but I'm not sure that's going to lead to much better results.

I guess we should note that Detroit has been awesome at getting to the line all year long, and the Bulls held them to only 8 free throw attempts last night. The only problem is that Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren were both sidelined, and those two studs lead the team in attempts per game with nearly 13 combined. The Bulls will not have the luxury of dodging Miami's top free throw shooters.