Bulls to blame for loss to Heat in 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament

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The Chicago Bulls ended their season with a 102-91 loss on Friday night against the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Play-In tournament. Chicago had a 90-87 lead late in the fourth quarter but missed their chance to qualify. for the 2023 NBA Playoffs. The Heat beat the Bulls 15-1 in the final three minutes, securing the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoff pool.

The Bulls have rallied from an early 14-point deficit against the Heat, looking to make their second consecutive Play-In Tournament return. Two nights earlier, Chicago came back from a 19-point deficit to defeat the Toronto Raptors 109-105.

The 2022-23 season must be seen as a big disappointment for the Bulls. After going 46-36 as the Easts’ No. 6 seed a year ago, Chicago finished 40-42 for the No. 9 spot in the standings. The Bulls changed their season after the All-Star break, going 14-9 to make the Play-In tournament. It was too little, too late.

DeMar DeRozan did his part for the Bulls. The veteran scored 26 points on 19 shots to go along with nine assists. Colby White had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench. Why will it be Heatnot the Bullstaking on the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs?

Let’s take a look at which Bulls deserve the most blame for losing the Chicago 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament.

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Zach LaVine was the main reason the Bulls survived the first round of the Play-In Tournament. The Chicago star scored 39 points on 12 of 22 shooting, leading the team’s comeback against Toronto. While LaVine gets credit for keeping the Bulls’ playoff hopes alive, he deserves the blame for ending Chicago’s playoff chances two nights later.

The version of LaVine that showed up against the Raptors was nowhere to be found against the Heat. The Bulls guard was remarkably ineffective, missing 15 of 21 field goal attempts. LaVine scored 15 points, including just one in the fourth quarter. LaVine had two assists and five turnovers. Two of LaVines’ passes were stolen and one of his shots was blocked in the final quarter.

The NBA’s best players are expected to raise their game when it matters most. As the Bulls’ leading scorer with a max contract, LaVine is more responsible than any player for Chicago’s fate. Dropping 10 points and two assists off his season average with the Bulls’ playoff hopefuls on the line is a black mark on LaVines’ resume.

Much has been made of the credit Patrick Beverley deserved for the Bulls’ run at the Play-In tournament. DeRozan praised Beverley for doing everything on the court. A few opposing head coaches said Beverley was a big reason for Chicago’s late-season success. After an impressive stint in Chicago, the veteran didn’t have much to offer in the biggest game of the season.

Beverley didn’t score a single point in the Bulls Play-In Tournament loss to the Heat. Much of Beverley’s impact comes from the defensive end, and it’s impossible to truly gauge her impact just by looking at the stat sheet. But no team can expect to win when one of their starters plays 27 minutes and goes 0 of 4 on the field. Beverley added just a pair of rebounds and four assists in the loss.

In 22 games with the Bulls, Beverley averaged 5.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He was held scoreless three times, including in the Play-In tournament. Chicago lost all three of those games by double digits.

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