The Miami Heat seemed poised for victory against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, leading by 12 points after the first quarter and maintaining an 11-point advantage entering the fourth. However, the game slipped away in the final 12 minutes, with Miami getting outscored by 16 points and ultimately falling 114-109.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra took responsibility for the late-game collapse, admitting he mismanaged his players’ minutes. “I felt like I didn’t do a good job with managing the minutes,” Spoelstra said. “I thought we needed more speed and energy, and when we built that lead, I wanted to extend it. But I sensed fatigue in the fourth quarter.”
Spoelstra acknowledged that giving his key players more rest earlier in the game might have helped them close it out. “That’s on me. I have to do a better job for this team,” he added.
Miami used just nine players in the game, all logging at least 10 minutes. Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, two of the team’s main stars, played heavier minutes than usual—Adebayo with just over 38 minutes and Herro surpassing 36. While both performed well, combining for 43 points, they struggled late, scoring just nine points on 4-of-10 shooting in the fourth quarter.
The loss extends Miami’s losing streak to three games, with six defeats in their last 10 contests. As it stands, the Heat are the No. 9 seed in the East, meaning they’d have to fight through the play-in tournament for a playoff spot.
Looking ahead, Spoelstra may reconsider his rotation strategy when Miami faces the struggling Charlotte Hornets on Monday. The Hornets, currently 15-48, recently ended a long losing streak with a win over the Brooklyn Nets.
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