1. Zach LaVine kept his team around for a bit with his typically impressive shotmaking, but the Chicago Bulls just had nothing for Miami on the defensive end as the HEAT took a 19-point lead through three quarters. The Bulls had zero answers, and as much as you would want to credit the HEAT for playing as well as they did – and they played plenty well – this is also becoming the story of Chicago’s season as they came into the game 4-19, with a -11.0 per 100 possessions Net Rating, against the Top 10 team in point differential.
Another aggressive night for Kyle Lowry, hitting those pull-ups that will be crucial in the playoffs, with 19 points on 11 shots. Jimmy Butler hit another couple of threes and got everything he wanted out of the post, finishing with 22 on 12 shots. Miami shot 17-of-34 from three, 14-of-25 at one point, and 53 percent from the field. Bam Adebayo, despite some early foul trouble, gave Nikola Vucevic another tough go of it. Just that kind of night. One week from one of the toughest six-day stretches in recent memory, the HEAT are back to running on vibes.
2. In four games against Chicago this season the HEAT’s Offensive Rating has been 138.0 (tonight), 115.5, 125.5 and 109.2. We talk a lot about where teams can create advantages in each matchup and against the Bulls there always seems to a weak spot on the floor where Miami can apply pressure. They can challenge a drop-coverage center in Vucevic or Tristan Thompson. They can post-up a smaller player like Coby White, as Butler did over and over and over again the first half. They can cycle through off-ball actions and force the Bulls to keep up. None of it guarantees that you’re going to make the shots, but it all adds up to one team that never looks uncomfortable and another that it always trying to cover for their weakest link – and when you’re always in rotation against the HEAT, you’re playing the HEAT’s game.
Were these teams to meet in the postseason, which just became less likely as it pushed the HEAT closer to a No. 1 or No. 2 seed though the Bulls are only two games out of the play-in, you would have to feel pretty confident about the HEAT’s ability to score.
3. The HEAT had all 17 players, counting both two-way players, available for what felt like the first time this season and Erik Spoelstra did not stray from the rotation changes he made earlier in the week against Sacramento. Max Strus is still starting, the bench stops after the ninth man and, in what is becoming increasingly more clear as a target goal of this plan, Butler and P.J. Tucker are essentially splitting time at the power forward spot in any lineup that isn’t the opening group. Spacing and shooting is the priority in a clear attempt to juice the offense. So far, it’s working, though keep an eye on the defense. Typically, at least for the past three years with the Butler-Adebayo core, Miami has given up a little defensively when downsizing to that degree. Certainly noteworthy that Caleb Martin did not play during the competitive portion of the evening despite being available. I would suspect that this won’t be the last we see of him, especially if he can rest up after being off and on the injury report all month.
-Next Up For Miami: Sunday – April 3, 7:00 PM ET at Toronto