The fill-in starter in Norman Powell's absence, plus Heat X-Factors vs Bulls

The Miami Heat-Chicago Bulls part two showdown takes place tonight at the Kaseya Center, after Miami escaped with a win in Chicago on Thursday night.

Even on a quick turnaround, both sides will be looking quite different.

Norman Powell is out for this one, joining Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell on the list of players sidelined. For the Bulls, Josh Giddey and Jalen Smith are out, while Coby White and Nikola Vucevic are doubtful.

Powell is definitely a big loss, but Chicago seems to be taking the bigger injury hit.

So let's get into some keys to this one:

1. Who will step up most offensively in Norman Powell's absence?

Jan 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) brings the ball up court against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

If you told me before the season that Miami would be without Tyler Herro and Norman Powell for the night, I'd say they were going to have a real tough time scoring. But with the current make-up of the team and constant revolving door of injuries, they should be able to adjust just fine. Jaime Jaquez Jr has a clear match-up advantage against this Bulls team, as there are plenty of mismatches to attack. His usage should see a nice bump, but the other name to watch for is Andrew Wiggins. He will hold down certain lineups, as a primary or secondary option scoring wise.

2. Minutes bump for two young pieces?

Jan 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Miami Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis (25) shoots against Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Heat went to a ten man rotation in this last Bulls game, yet the two guys who logged the lowest amount of minutes were starting point guard Kasparas Jakucionis and second year big man Kel'el Ware. Both got 12 minutes total: Dru Smith had a good night which tookover some of Jakucionis' playing time, while Ware is being used in 4 minute stints as he works back in after the hamstring injury. But heading into a game with a big name missing, and possibly back to a nine man rotation, I think it would be good to see some extended time for these two. Not even just individually, it feels like a good idea to play these two guys together.

3. Who fills in for the missing starter?

Jan 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Miami Heat guard Norman Powell (24) brings the ball up court against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

This feels like a pretty simple insertion for Erik Spoelstra tonight. A certain sharpshooter has been on a heater as of late, going 18 for 34 from three in the five games prior to this previous Bulls game. Simone Fontecchio shot 0 of 4 from the field in his 17 minutes on Thursday night, which means he's in need of a bounce back against this team. When losing that shooting, he is a key element of stretching the floor in this game to open up the scoring lanes for Jaquez Jr, Wiggins, and Adebayo heading downhill. If he can find his shooting touch again tonight, it'll be an X-Factor.