Rookies Face Off in NBA Play-In Tournament, Buzelis Season Ends

The Chicago Bulls are done with its season after falling to the Miami Heat in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Apr 11, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) dunks the ball against the Washington Wizards during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The NBA Play-In Tournament continues to march along as the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat squared off on Wednesday in a win-or-go-home game. These two sides were fighting for the right to be in Friday's No. 8 seed bout against the Atlanta Hawks.

Miami took control of this game from the word go and were able to earn a 109-90 win over the Chicago Bulls. This game featured a pair of starters from the 2024 NBA Draft.

Kel'el Ware posted six points, nine rebounds, three assists and a steal in 22 minutes of action for the Heat. The Rookie will need a big outing against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday to officially push the Heat into the NBA Playoffs and set up a date with the Cleveland Cavailers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

The Chicago Bulls also started a first-year player in rookie Matas Buzelis as the G League Ignite product logged 35 minutes of action and posted nine points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal while shooting 4-for-9 from the floor and 1-for-4 from beyond the arc.

This is good experience for youngsters despite Buzelis seeing his season come to an end after just one additional game. The Chicago Bulls have a budding young foundation that they can use to launchpad flushing out its roster with a 2025 NBA Draft Lottery pick secured with this loss.

The Heat can put Ware in another playoff-like game on Friday which big men can really benefit from early in their careers to make adjustments later.