Short-Handed Bulls Stun Heat in Gritty Miami Showdown 125-118

Sometimes, the box score doesn’t tell you the whole story. But sometimes, it screams it. On a humid night in South Beach, the Chicago Bulls walked into the Kaseya Center looking less like a professional basketball roster and more like a MASH unit. Missing six of their nine highest-paid players, including floor general Josh Giddey and anchor Nikola Vucevic, nobody would have blamed Chicago for packing it in against a playoff-contending Miami team.

Instead, they packed a punch.

Led by a masterful, season-best performance from Ayo Dosunmu, the Bulls stunned the Heat 125-118 on Saturday night, snapping a narrative that seemed written before tip-off. This wasn’t just a win; it was a statement of resilience for a team hovering near .500 (24-25) and fighting for traction in the crowded Eastern Conference.

Dosunmu Takes the Reins

With the roster decimated by injuries—Coby White, Jalen Smith, and Zach Collins all sidelined alongside Giddey and Vucevic—the spotlight turned squarely to Ayo Dosunmu. The young guard didn’t just step up; he took over. Dosunmu finished with a season-high 29 points, flirting with a triple-double by adding nine assists and eight rebounds.

It wasn’t just the volume of his scoring; it was the timing. Every time Miami threatened to pull away, Dosunmu had an answer. He controlled the tempo against a ferocious Heat defense, finding open shooters and attacking the rim with a fearlessness that trickled down to the rest of the depleted roster.

“Next man up” is the oldest cliché in sports, but on Saturday, it was the only reality Chicago had. Matas Buzelis chipped in with a crucial 21 points and eight boards, while Isaac Okoro added 20, proving that this makeshift lineup had enough firepower to hang with anyone.

A Tale of Two Timeouts

Coaching often gets lost in the highlight reels of dunks and deep threes, but Billy Donovan’s fingerprints were all over this victory. The Bulls’ head coach utilized his timeouts with surgical precision, stopping the bleeding before it became fatal.

The first intervention came just 76 seconds into the game. Whatever was said in that huddle worked instantly, sparking a 12-0 Chicago run that set the tone for the night. But the real turning point came early in the third quarter.

With the Bulls staring down an 11-point deficit and momentum shifting heavily toward the home team, Donovan called time again at the 1:25 mark. The response? A ferocious 10-0 run that flipped the script entirely. That surge was part of a broader turnaround that saw Chicago carry a 91-84 lead into the fourth quarter—a lead they would bend, but ultimately refuse to break.

Bulls Barrage from Deep

The Bulls were unconscious from deep, draining 20 shots from beyond the arc on 50% shooting.

It was a stark contrast to Miami’s struggles. The Heat, despite playing on their home floor, shot a dismal 27.7% from three-point land (13-of-47). While Bam Adebayo woke up in the fourth quarter, pouring in 15 of his 21 points in the final frame, it was too little, too late. Miami managed to tie the game four times in the final three and a half minutes, but they could never reclaim the lead.

The dagger came with just 39 seconds left. Dosunmu, capping off his brilliant night, found Buzelis for a three-pointer that pushed the lead to 121-116. It was the shot that finally broke Miami’s spirit.

What This Means for the East

For the Heat (26-24), this is a loss that stings. Playing without Tyler Herro hurts, but losing at home to a depleted Chicago squad is a missed opportunity to climb the standings. They received solid contributions from Pelle Larsson (22 points) and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (20 points), but their inability to defend the perimeter was their undoing.

For Chicago, this win pushes them to 24-25 and keeps their playoff hopes vibrant. It’s a morale booster of the highest order. Beating a team like Miami in their building requires toughness, and doing it without your stars requires heart.

The schedule makers have a sense of humor, too. In a statistical oddity not seen since 1972, the Bulls and Heat are in the middle of playing three consecutive regular-season games against one another. They meet again in Miami on Sunday.

If Saturday night was any indication, the Heat better bring more than just their jerseys—because these short-handed Bulls aren’t backing down.